One of the major developments in Latin America has been the rise of the left-wing political force. In 2007 the governments under the control of the left politicians made major adjustments in their domestic and external policies，generating important repercussions on the political process of the region.

In 2007 Latin American economy grew at 5.6%.This indicates that the region had been growing for five consecutive years. This relatively strong growth helped reduce the seriousness of the social problem. This situation is unprecedented in the past four decades.

In the diplomatic field in 2007，Latin American countries were active in forging international cooperation in the areas of trade and investment.With the evident weakening growth momentum in the U.S. economy in 2007，Latin America started to exhibit more willingness to develop economic and trade relations with China and other Asian nations.

Part I of the book presents a regional overview of Latin America’s politics， economic development， international relations and social issues. In Part II surveys are made for eight countries and two sub-regions，i.e.，Central America and the Caribbean.In building its harmonious society，China needs to draw lessons and experience from other nations.Latin America is the region where social problems are extremely grave.The final part of the book examines some of the major issues regarding Latin America’s social development.