Summary

Dependency theory encompasses different approaches which all seek to explain the
underdevelopment of countries in the global South. The main general argument is
that less developed countries are dependent on more developed countries for their
economic and political well-being. The theory has been shaped by the work of
several influential scholars, including Raul Prebisch, Celso Furtado, Fernando
Henrique Cardoso, and Marxist theorists such as Theotonio dos Santos and André
Gunder Frank.

Raul Prebisch is often credited with laying the foundation for dependency theory. His
main argument was that the global economic system was structured in such a way
that it perpetuated underdevelopment in less developed countries. Prebisch believed
that developing countries should break free from their dependence on the global
North by promoting industrialization and increasing the role of the state in the
economy. Later on, Celso Furtado built on Prebisch's work, emphasizing the role of
historical and cultural factors in perpetuating underdevelopment. He argued that less
developed countries needed to break free from their dependence on the global North
by promoting national development and creating a more just and equitable society.

Some critiques towards structuralism emerged during the 1970’s. There are common
points between them, for example, criticism of the subordination of countries and the
economic specialization coordinated by the traditional powers. But the way in which
the phenomenon occurred and the strategy to escape it, is not a consensus among
these writers, sociologists and economists. The main critical streams of structuralism
are the associated dependency theory, developed by Fernando Henrique Cardoso,
and the marxist approaches developed by Dos Santos, Gunder Frank and Bambirra.
Associated dependency theory emphasized the dualistic structure of many less
developed countries, where a modern sector is integrated into the global economy
while a traditional sector remains impoverished. Therefore, national development
was necessary to overcome underdevelopment and achieve greater economic and
social equality. Marxist theorists, such as Andre Gunder Frank, emphasized the role
of capitalism in perpetuating dependency. They argued that the global economic
system was structured in such a way that less developed countries were forced to
remain dependent on more developed countries.

The economic relationship between China and Brazil has been characterized by a
significant increase in trade and investment flows. Brazil has become an important
supplier of commodities such as soybeans and iron ore to China, while China has
become an important source of manufactured goods and investment for Brazil.
Although the trade relations between the two countries are seen by many as unequal
and characterize a traditional dependent relation, China and Brazil have developed a
strong economic partnership in recent years, with a focus on promoting South-South
cooperation between two of the largest economies in the global South.