Bridge over Pacific waters

Economic and trade exchange, a major driver of Sino-Latin American cooperation, can be boosted only if governments on both sides establish a sound consultation and dialogue mechanism. The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, founded by 33 countries in the region in 2011, has a taken a big step in that direction by announcing the establishment of a Sino-LACS forum at its second summit in Cuba earlier this year.

The forum is aimed at not only developing more balanced relations between the two sides, but also advancing a fairer international order. Latin America, home to a number of emerging economies, is keener than ever to participate in global governance. So, one can safely say that Latin American states and China will deepen their coordination and cooperation to safeguard the interests of developing countries.

The four countries Xi visited are major players in Latin America that will work with China to protect developing countries' interests and have different strategic significance for China's diplomacy. Brazil is a pillar of economic growth in South America. It is the seventh-largest economy in the world and a crucial member of BRICS. To further boost the already booming China-Brazil trade, Xi signed a wide range of economic agreements with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff.

Argentina and oil-rich Venezuela, the other two big powers in the region, and China are deeply interdependent in trade. Cuba is the first Latin American country to establish diplomatic ties with China, and has had a well-developed relationship with China based on mutual political and economic trust since 1960.

From a geopolitical point of view, China's endeavor to strike a diplomatic balance is noteworthy because the four countries Xi visited this time are in the southern part of the region, while the ones he visited last year were in Central and North America.

Since China and Latin American countries are emerging powers and developing economies, they can easily enhance strategic agreements and deepen mutual trust because they are eager to see a multipolar world. Unlike the world order promoted by the US, which is marked by cliques and factions, China's Latin American policy accords equal importance to all the countries of the region based on the principle of all-round cooperation, because Beijing wants to establish win-win ties across the Pacific Ocean.

The author is deputy head of the Institution of Latin American Studies, affiliated to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.