This article analyzes the political implications of the increasing interdependence of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and South American countries. We present data on PRC investment and trade in the region and highlight several points of diplomatic progress in terms of bi-lateral cooperation for the 21st century. Our starting point is the issue of whether we face a relationship that could constitute a new form of South-South cooperation or whether it is more representative of the typical North-South pattern or system - albeit one with its own peculiarities. We refer to this relationship pattern as Pacific Consensus (PC). Although short term, the China factor may stimulate growth in the region, it also has different implications for the development of countries with an important industrial sector - such as Brazil and Argentina - and those that do not - such as Chile and Peru - which have all signed free trade agreements with the Asiatic giant. We conclude with some considerations regarding the consequences that the PC has in terms of Latin American integration.
China; South America; Integration, Pacific Consensus
