300 PALABRAS - Peña Nieto Visits China and Obama to Visit Mexico

U.S. President Barack Obama will visit Mexico during the first week of May, making his first trip to Mexico during his second term. Meanwhile, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto recently visited China and Japan. On one hand, Mexico seeks to offset the trade deficit with China, while on the other strengthening Japanese investments in Mexico. The reasons behind Mr. Peña Nieto's trip are to promote the country on an international scale, to generate a greater influx of foreign investment and, consequently, create more jobs in Mexico. This official visit to China will also serve as an opportunity to rebuild a relationship that has been neglected for the past twelve years. China's interest in participating in Latin American markets is evident, as it has successfully participated in the South American market without having a true opportunity to enter the Mexican market. China may be key to Mexico as far as infrastructure, energy and competitiveness is concerned. For China, Mexico is of special interest due to the size of its economy, its vast domestic market and, specifically, its proximity to the United States and the important regional free trade agreement among Mexico, the U.S. and Canada, NAFTA. President Peña Nieto's visit to China and Japan on the eve of President Obama's visit to Mexico is an important factor in Mexico-U.S. negotiations and the bilateral agenda between Mexico and the U.S. While the U.S. President's visit to Mexico will last only one day, the teams behind the two countries are already working on potential agreements and proclamations that would need to be made, which would surely strengthen the relationship between Mexico and the U.S., two natural partners and good friends by mutual convenience. Mexico must ensure that its relationship with the U.S. is not restricted to issues such as security and immigration, but that it also encompasses other issues such as water, energy, competitiveness, technological development and education.