Já todos sabemos que a China (também) tem uma importância cada vez mais preponderante na América Latina. Mas o Banco Inter-Americano para o Desenvolvimento pretendeu também perceber o posicionamento das empresas da América Latina na China, tendo realizado para o efeito um estudo que designou por "LAC Investment in China: A New Chapter in Latin America and the Caribbean-China Relations". Deste trabalho resultaram as seguintes principais conclusões: " (1) "While natural resources continue to make up the bulk of the region’s exports to China, a diverse group of LAC firms selling products from pastry rolls and passenger jets to IT services have established a strong presence in the Chinese market—showing the answer to that question is a resounding “yes.”; (2) In contrast to LAC-China trade, manufacturing firms are the majority, making up 56 percent of the sample, and representing sectors such as industrial machinery, metals, and foods and beverages. The primary sector accounts for a mere 15 percent of the total; (3) Another important finding is that while the overall amount of LAC foreign direct investment (FDI) in China is small—official data puts the number at US$ 917 million between 2002 and 2012—firms do not need to engage in FDI per se to succeed in China. While FDI figures only reflect productive units set up in China, many LAC firms have reaped the benefits of direct presence in China via commercial affiliates, representative offices, and investments in distribution networks". Estas conclusões constitutem importantes contributos e reflexões para a definição das estratégias de internacionalização das empresas portuguesas para o mercado da China, sobretudo no que diz respeito aos modos de entrada.
