As mentioned before, a number of top-ranking Chinese officials are currently on goodwill tours in Latin America. Thus far, declarations for “strengthening cooperation” and “boosting friendships” abound. Vice President / President-in-waiting Xi Jinping is now in Venezuela, having already made his way through Mexico, Jamaica and Colombia. Yesterday, he addressed President Hugo Chavez and Venezuelan entrepreneurs and “welcomed” Latin America participation in the 2010 Shanghai Expo.

The global recession has cast a dark shadow on the Expo, which is wildly anticipated within China. Last week, rumors started that the US may skip the Expo entirely as organizers are struggling to raise the US$65 million needed for a pavilion. The UK has recently reshuffled its “Expo Task Force,” and has yet to break ground on its pavilion.

Of course, things are different for most Latin American countries. China has already told Colombia and others that it “would try its best to meet [their] needs including both financially and technologically (sic).” Other Latin American and Caribbean countries are building joint pavilions instead of individually. El Salvador and Costa Rica, for example, are part of a nine-country Expo bloc. Ten countries in the Caribbean have also banded together for a joint pavilion.

Still, there are vows of participation and then there are official contracts. Many of the countries above, including Venezuela as of last October, have yet to officially sign on the dotted line or appoint a commissioner general to oversee development.

Xi’s Expo “welcome” yesterday may have been less of a friendly gesture and more of a reminder that, recession or not, participation is still expected.

Image: showchina.org