Once considered too difficult and virtually useless by many Latin Americans, Chinese is quickly becoming the second language of choice for a growing number of people in the region as Beijing’s economic boom has dramatically increased trade and investments with the mostly Spanish-speaking continent.
Three to five times more Latin Americans are studying Chinese today compared to five years ago, according to an unscientific survey conducted by The Herald in six countries.
See also a July 10 article “China, Latin America: a dance of two strangers” from Knight-Ridder, via the Miami Herald.