China may well be the favorite whipping boy of manufacturers in the United States these days. But in the developing world, the country is becoming the trading partner of choice, drawing in airplanes from Brazil, soybeans from Argentina and seafood from Malaysia, boosting economies and leading to new political alliances.
The growing appetite of the world’s most populous nation has made China a new source of income for the developing economies of South America and Asia. "China’s booming imports from developing countries—especially of commodities—are not only helping growth in countries from Brazil to Africa, but are already reshaping international trade relations," said Kenneth Rogoff, an economics professor at Harvard University.