Many more Latin Americans are plugged into the Internet than ever before, according to a study released this week by a United Nations agency.

As one of Latin America's leading trade partners, China has been helping the region do just that through both private- and public-sector ventures.

That matters immensely to the digitalization of the economy of Latin America, a region that is still struggling to develop, and that can no longer rely on its abundance of natural resources to drive growth, especially at a time when the price of raw materials on the international market is notably low.