Flu spat cools budding Mexico-China relationship

By Mica Rosenberg - Analysis

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - China's decision to quarantine dozens of Mexicans to guard against the spread of a deadly new flu has soured the relationship between the two exporters, which compete for access to the U.S. market.

Still, a desire on both sides to boost bilateral trade and ship more Mexican raw materials to fast-growing China means the diplomatic flap should only be a temporary setback.

Mexico accused China of discrimination after Beijing, worried about the H1N1 flu strain, ordered some 70 Mexicans, including a honeymooning couple, into seclusion, even though none had symptoms.

Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa called the isolation measures "unacceptable" and "without foundation" and advised Mexicans against traveling to China.

China rejected the criticism, saying the steps it had taken were purely medical and not discriminatory.

"This should not affect the relationship in the medium-term because we are talking about an overreaction on both sides," said Enrique Dussel, an expert on Mexican-Chinese trade at the UNAM University in Mexico City.

Across China, a Mexican man in Hong Kong was the only person found to be infected with the new flu strain that has killed 26 people in Mexico, two in the United States and made more than 1,500 people ill in 22 countries.

China sent a plane from Shanghai on Tuesday to pick up about 100 of its citizens from Mexico, mainly tourists, students and business people. Some Chinese had been holed up in hotels in northern Mexico for days waiting to leave.