Ana María Hoyos
Business Law in China and India
Which is more appealing to Latin America?

The economy of the United States has been slowing down during the past years, leaving Latin American economies with no alternative but to look into further horizons. Both China and India have been growing and flourishing into attractive alternatives for Latin American businesses. These two fast-growing developing economies represent a great opportunity for Latin American countries especially because both India and China have showed their interest in doing business with Latin America. Additionally, the recent boom of Latin American leftist governments that are not fond of the United States has minimized the gap between the western south and these two Easter giants, increasing the need for joint business ventures and trading partnerships that contribute to the growth of China, India and Latin America. In order to evaluate the relation of Latin American countries with China and India, it is important to analyze the legal systems and regulatory business environments of the Chinese and Indian governments. By developing a concise comparison between China and India, this paper will eventually evaluate which country has more to offer to Latin American economies. Such comparison will be based upon aspects such as legal backgrounds and traditions, basic business regulations, trade laws and others, to finally conclude what sort of government is more appealing to Latin American economies. In the first place, it is important to consider that most of Latin American countries have legal systems based upon the civil law tradition, perceived by many as a more predictable system when compared to common law. In business transactions, predictability can be a great incentive when paired to similar legal frameworks. Contrarily, differences between the legal systems of two contracting