Bolivians learning Chinese.

But are the Chinese learning Bolivian?

From the bbc:

Norma Ramos has a bathroom and kitchenware stall in a busy commercial sector of La Paz, Bolivia's main city.

But she is no ordinary trader: she travels regularly to China to buy products to sell back home. Proud of her new expertise, she has already made more than seven trips. And, anxious to avoid the tyranny of translators and the expense of middlemen, she has taken Chinese lessons which, she says, have given her a great commercial advantage.

"I can now say - sell me this at the right price, and I want this kind of quantity, and I will return, and I will be able to speak more of your language next time," says Ms Ramos. "And they have shown more interest and say they will give it to me cheaper next time."

But who ultimately will benefit from closer ties with China? The Chinese are interested in Bolivia's lithium (its home to 50% of all the worlds deposits) and they are specifically interested in the deposits found in the Uyuni desert(pictured below), high in the Andes. Lithium is used in mobile phone batteries and in the new wave of electric cars. But China is not the only country interested and with the Bolivian President insisting that profits and jobs from the country's rich mineral and natural resources should go to Bolivians and not foreign companies it will be interesting to see what happens.

Read the full article on the bbc website here.
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