When Jamaica's Usain Bolt effortlessly won the 100 metres in the August 2008 Beijing Olympics it became one of the defining moments of an event that cemented China's global presence in the minds of hundreds of millions around the world.

That it involved a citizen of the Latin American and Caribbean region provided an unexpected bonus to Beijing at a time when it was finalising its policy towards the region and Latin America.

In November, China released its first policy paper on Latin America and the Caribbean. It did so just days ahead of a Latin American tour by its president, Hu Jintao, aimed at deepening ties with the region.

At that time, the Chinese president visited Costa Rica, Cuba and Peru. Subsequently, in February of this year, the Chinese vice president, Xi Jinping, visited Jamaica, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil and the Chinese vice premier, Hui Liangyu, travelled to Argentina, Ecuador, Barbados and The Bahamas. The timing and level at which the visits took place demonstrated China's intent to fully engage in carefully differentiated ways in the hemisphere.

policy paper

The policy paper, the first of its kind involving Latin America and the Caribbean, had, according to Yang Wanming, the director general of the Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs in the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing, taken a long time to prepare, draft and revise.

The extensive document is worth greater consideration than it was given in the region when published. It begins with the observation that the global move toward multi-polarity is ir-reversible. It goes on to make clear that as the largest developing country in the world, China is seeking to cooperate with all countries and regards improved relations with Latin American and the Caribbean as offering new opportunities.

China's policy paper notes that its engagement is strategic and that it seeks to build a comprehensive partnership based on equality, mutual benefit and development with, as an underlying principle, a one-China policy. In doing so, it says it expects to "expand strategic