China, LAC states launch new cooperation drive

President Xi Jinping announced on Tuesday the launch of five programs for cooperation between China and Latin American and Caribbean countries, covering areas such as politics, economic development and people-to-people exchanges, and he called on the two sides to jointly write a new chapter in building the China-LAC community with a shared future.

Xi made the remarks in a keynote speech in Beijing at the opening ceremony of the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States Forum.

He stressed the need for China and LAC countries, all of which are important members of the Global South, to uphold solidarity and coordination and rise to global challenges with resolve in the face of the surging tide of unilateralism and protectionism.

Formally established in 2011, CELAC is an intergovernmental mechanism for dialogue and political agreement, which comprises permanently 33 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

In 2015, Xi and delegates from LAC countries attended the opening ceremony of the forum's first ministerial meeting in Beijing, marking the translation of the vision for overall China-LAC cooperation into reality.

"Ten years on, with dedicated nurturing of both sides, the forum has grown from a tender sapling into a towering tree. This fills me with deep pride and satisfaction," Xi told a room of guests including Colombian President Gustavo Petro, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Chilean President Gabriel Boric and New Development Bank President Dilma Rousseff.

As the century-defining transformation is accelerating and multiple risks are intertwined, only by working together can countries maintain world peace and stability and promote global development and prosperity, he said.

Xi said that China will work with LAC countries to support each other on issues bearing on their respective core interests and major concerns.

"In the next three years, to facilitate our exchanges on national governance best practices, China will invite 300 members from political parties of CELAC member states every year to visit China," he said.

Xi also called on China and LAC countries to resolutely uphold the multilateral trading system, ensure stable, unimpeded, global industrial and supply chains, and promote an international environment of openness and cooperation.

The two sides should bolster cooperation in traditional areas such as infrastructure, agriculture and food, and energy and minerals, expand cooperation in emerging areas such as clean energy, 5G telecommunications, the digital economy and artificial intelligence, and carry out the China-LAC Science and Technology Partnership, he said.

In 2024, trade between China and LAC countries exceeded $500 billion for the first time, an increase of over 40 times from the beginning of this century.

"China will increase imports of quality products from LAC countries, and encourage its enterprises to expand investment in the LAC region," Xi said, adding that China will provide a 66-billion-yuan ($9.16 billion) credit line to support LAC countries' development.

In an effort to implement the Global Security Initiative, Xi said that China will organize law enforcement training programs tailored to the needs of CELAC member states, and do its best to provide equipment assistance.

To facilitate friendly exchanges, China has decided to implement visa exemption for five LAC countries as the first step, and will expand this policy coverage at proper times, he said.

Guillermo Daniel Ortega Reyes, a Nicaraguan deputy to the Central American Parliament, said he received "a message of hope and future" from Xi's speech.

"In the next 10 years, the China-CELAC relationship will flourish as quickly as possible, and we will reap what we sow today," he said.

Lance Brown, a senior consular affairs officer from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Antigua and Barbuda, said that the fourth ministerial meeting will be a milestone in China-CELAC relations as "it underscores again the willingness of China to engage with countries of Latin America and the Caribbean".

"It is good to have a frank exchange of views and an opportunity for people to really meet and cement relationships, because the basis of all the cooperation that we are seeking stems from relationships that are established in this room," he said.

Bolivian Ambassador to China Hugo Siles said: "We believe that as the world is undergoing transformations, China is a reference in foreign policy for all countries in the world, especially for Latin America and the Caribbean."

"This forum can help us all move together not only to reject the tariffs imposed by the United States that go against nature, but also to promote trade and development among countries and peoples worldwide," he said.

mojingxi@chinadaily.com.cn