The trend of relations between the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean from the perspective of Bi-regional Summits

Nowadays,multilateral consultative mechanism is gradually becoming a mainstream approach in the contemporary international system.As one of the most important international collective player,the European Union(EU) has been engaging in multilateral cooperation and consultation since its inception.It has also been promoting a plural world through advocacy and action.The EU and the Latin America/Caribbean(LAC) Countries summits are considered a stability mechanism for promoting bi-regional dialogues.Nevertheless,after 10 years of bi-regional strategic partnership construction,the EU and LAC relations are currently experiencing a difficult phase,suggesting it is time to reform.The purpose of this paper is to analyze the advantages as well as the challenges to EU-LAC relations from the perspective of bi-regional summits,and to assess the short-term trend of their relations in the near

What attracts China's contracts to Latin America and the Caribbean?An empirical study of the determinants of Chinese contracts

As China's economy has reached the stage of'New Normal',Chinese companies are increasingly seeking opportunities overseas.In the context of the slow recovery of world economy,China's outward economic activities have found themselves in many parts of the globe,including the Latin Ameria and the Caribbean(LAC)region,some of the farthest places away from China.While many scholars have conducted extensive studies on China's trade and foreign direct investment(FDI)in Latin America and the Caribbean,this paper focusses on Chinese contracts in the region,a topic that has been rarely studied.Using both random-effects and fixed-effects models covering 30 LAC economies during 1998-2015,the multivariate panel regressions show that among numerous determinants,Chinese companies prefer to undertake projects in the countries that are economically more advanced and more populous.In addition to the level of development and the size of population,those that have natural resources,expansionary economy,and political openness tend to have Chinese contracts completed.The above,however,is true of only the countries with which China has diplomatic relations.For the countries that recognise China's Taiwan‘diplomatically',Chinese contracts do not seem to be as much economically determined as those that recognise People's Republic of China(PRC)diplomatically.Politics appear to interfere with contractual decisions except in the following categories:mineral resources and an expansionary economy.

拉美新一轮经济改革及其前景

Currently,a new round of economic reform is catching up pace in Latin American and the Caribbean countries.This round of reform coincides with a new wave of leftist governments in this region.Driven by the severe economic dilemma and social conflicts,Latin American and Caribbean countries have initiated a new round of economic reform by strengthening the state's role in the economy,transforming production modes,improving fiscal and monetary functions,and emphasizing income distribution and social equality,which achieved both economic and social effects.This round of reform has had a certain impact at both the regional and global levels,not only activating the sluggish integration of this region,but also reflecting the development demands of the Global South for transformation and independence.The adjustment of interests brought about by the new round of economic reform in Latin America and the Caribbean will also bring new development opportunities for Sino–Latin American relations.

The Body in Relation to the Other

In this study,I analyze Glissant’s idea of the Caribbean society as an inclusive community that treats its members with equality and mutual respect.The literary analysis includes novels Brown Girl in the Ring(BGR)by Nalo Hopkinson,Les Affres d’un défi(The Throes of a Challenge)(AF)by Frankétienne,and L’Envers du décor(Behind the Scene)(ED)by Ernest Pépin.All three novels demonstrate how the enslaving western governments of the Black populations of the Caribbean,have dispossessed the Black people of their culture and identity and instilled a feeling of shame into them,and minimized them as zombies.Glissant,like the mentioned authors,raises the question of whether our modern governments still operate on the same principles.Ernest Pépin shows how modern tourists and settlers still envision the Caribbean islands as Christopher Columbus did for the Western world’s profit only.Glissant proposes another form of world relations in the Caribbean,neither ontological nor one of political affiliation with France,but a rhizomatic relation with all the former communities of which the Caribbean peoples are composed.

COVID-19 and its effects upon orthopaedic surgery: The Trinidad and Tobago experience

The World Health Organisation(WHO)declared coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)a pandemic on March 11,2020.COVID-19 is not the first infectious disease to affect Trinidad and Tobago.The country has faced outbreaks of both Chikungunya and Zika virus in 2014 and 2016 respectively.The viral pandemic is predicted to have a significant impact upon all countries,but the healthcare services in a developing country are especially vulnerable.The Government of Trinidad and Tobago swiftly established a parallel healthcare system to isolate and treat suspected and confirmed cases of COVID-19.Strick‘lockdown’orders,office closures,social distancing and face mask usage recommendation were implemented following advice from the WHO.This approach has seen Trinidad and Tobago emerge from the second wave of infections,with the most recent Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker report indicating a favourable risk of openness index for the country.The effects of the pandemic on the orthopaedic services in the public and private healthcare systems show significant differences.Constrained by shortages in personal protective equipment and inadequate testing facilities,the public system moved into emergency mode prioritizing the care of urgent and critical cases.Private healthcare driven more by economic considerations,quickly instituted widespread safety measures to ensure that the clinics remained open and elective surgery was not interrupted.Orthopaedic teaching at The University of the West Indies was quickly migrated to an online platform to facilitate both medical students and residents.The Caribbean Association of Orthopedic Surgeons through its frequent virtual meetings provided a forum for continuing education and social interaction amongst colleagues.The pandemic has disrupted our daily routines leading to unparalleled changes to our lives and livelihoods.Many of these changes will remain long after the pandemic is over,permanently transforming the practice of orthopaedics.