Upgraded partnership for the future

It has become apparent amid the COVID-19 pandemic that China and Latin America act as vital stabilizers for the global economy and world trade.

In recent years, cooperation and exchanges between China and Latin America have expanded in all areas. At first, their exchanges were only concentrated in the political and economic spheres. Now, we are talking about cultural exchanges, advanced knowledge, scientific and technological cooperation, mutual learning and the exchange of experiences in governance and administration. And despite all the disruptions caused by the novel coronavirus outbreak cooperation and exchanges between China and Latin America have continued to strengthen.

We are facing a number of global crises. Of all global threats, the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change demand cooperation between countries through collaboration from the interregional articulated scientific world to share information, ideas and procedures.

Along with the aforementioned challenges, perhaps one of the greatest challenges ahead is the fight against poverty. We are now facing a large-scale economic crisis.

It is estimated, in preliminary figures that more than 500 million people in the world are living in poverty, about 8 percent of the world's population. Ending poverty in all its forms is the first of the 17 goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Cooperation is vital to meet this ambitious challenge and that requires a broad consensus among countries to develop policies to realize a future that is sustainable and inclusive.

Eradicating poverty and hunger will be impossible without an urgent international cooperation effort focused on long-term and sustainable development.

Both China and Latin America have learned from the experience of striving to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, and are better able to face the challenges of realizing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to which we all attach great importance.

Official mechanisms and platforms could be established between the two sides to discuss relevant issues on this agenda and forge cooperation on the sustainable development goals, as well as carry out studies and dialogue on the Belt and Road Initiative and other regional and national projects that could be integrated into this sustainable development agenda. The Belt and Road Initiative creates great opportunities for the development of the infrastructure that Latin America needs.

Most important, it is fundamental that dialogue between China and Latin America must be based on the scientific and technological innovation that will be the basis of future development.

China is a major trading partner, a source of significant foreign investment, a major infrastructure builder and increasingly a technological power. That is to say, there is a window for great cooperation in science, technology and education for innovation.

In recent weeks we have received encouraging signs. The announcement by Chinese Science and Information Technology Minister Wang Zhigang in late September that China is willing to promote the establishment of the China-Latin America Sustainable Food Innovation Center and the China-Latin America Technology Transfer Center as it would allow deepening practical cooperation in science and technology in order to face global challenges and facilitate the transfer and commercialization of science and technology achievements in order to enrich bilateral cooperation. Likewise, the two sides can also deepen their cooperation in COVID-19 research to build a defensive line for public health security.

At the same time, Latin America should deepen cooperation with China in areas such as agricultural science and technology, the protection of biodiversity, clean energy, and the exchange of young scientists and engineers in order to help address global challenges and improve the well-being of our peoples. China and Latin America have a successful history of brotherly relations, and today we continue to work together to address the great challenges of humanity.

Turning our attention to Chile, over the 50 years since China and Chile established diplomatic relations, we have become strategic partners and are cooperating in all fields. The commercial exchanges between the two countries stands out, being about 40 percent of all Chile's import and export trade and, as such, an important factor for the development of the country.

Today, Chinese companies, which have not been discriminated against in Chile, represent a large number of investments in Chile in recent years and are the main job creators in many sectors, including energy infrastructure, electromobility, 5G and fiber optics－we already have 3,000 kilometers of fiber optics in the south of Chile. And in terms of basic science we are also talking about astronomy, since Chile in the next few years will have 70 percent of the Earth's optical and radio-astronomical observation capacity and Antarctic cooperation.

On the cultural side, Chile is the headquarters of the Confucius Institutes for all of Latin America, and many universities in the country have a center for studying China, Chinese culture and the Chinese language to help facilitate exchanges that, in particular, the young people of the two countries need. This is why the two countries must continue persevering in this great task that we have proposed, as we are generating opportunities so that all our citizens can live in a better world and have a better life.

The author is the former president of Chile. The author contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

Contact the editor at editor@chinawatch.cn