A HONEYMOON WITH CHINA?

PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS IN LATIN AMERICA AND BRAZIL

Abstract

Sino-Latin American trade grew dramatically since the turn of the century, with the commercial relationship between Brazil and China leading the regional trend. Bilateral trade grew almost fifteen-fold between 2000 and 2013, with a trade balance favoring Brazil. The resulting relationship has matured, and is nowadays evolving beyond mere trade into a complex matrix that includes developmental, political, cultural, and “soft power” dimensions involving not just state and corporate actors, but common citizens as well. This article seeks to move the discussion forward by contrasting Latin American and Brazilian perceptions of China obtained from public opinion polls. The focus is placed on how the particular nature of the early Sino-Brazilian economic and political interactions enabled a mild “honeymoon” from the perspective of Brazilians, in which socioeconomic or ideological positions had little impact on the general positive opinion of China. Nonetheless, this “honeymoon” should not be taken for granted, as the exchange that was favorable to Brazil in the early stages is likely to change in the near future.