Article by Mr. Huang Xinhua, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the People’s Republic of China to Barbados
On May 13, the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the China-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States Forum (China-CELAC Forum) was successfully held in Beijing. President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote speech. In his speech, President Xi announced that China stands ready to join hands with its Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) partners to launch five programs, namely Solidarity Program, Development Program, Civilization Program, Peace Program, and People-to-People Connectivity Program, that advance shared development and revitalization, and contribute to a China-LAC community with a shared future. The meeting adopted the Beijing Declaration and the China-CELAC Joint Action Plan for Cooperation in Key Areas (2025-2027), and also reached more than 100 three-year cooperation projects. China also announced 20 measures in supporting LAC countries’ development.
10 years ago, the First Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC Forum was successfully held in Beijing, officially ushering in a new stage of parallel and mutually reinforcing bilateral and overall cooperation in China-LAC relations. Over the past decade, under the strategic guidance of head-of-state diplomacy and with the joint efforts of both sides, the China-CELAC Forum has established mechanisms such as ministerial meetings, foreign ministers’ dialogue between China and the CELAC Quartet, and meetings of national coordinators, building the pillars of overall cooperation between China and LAC countries.
China-LAC relations have continued to deepen. Upholding mutual respect and accommodating each other’s core interests and major concerns, the two sides have maintained close communication through platforms such as the United Nations and APEC, working together to advance global governance reform and protect the common interests of developing countries.
China-LAC cooperation has yielded fruitful results. China has been Latin America and the Caribbean’s second-largest trading partner for 13 consecutive years. In 2024, trade between China and LAC countries reached US$518.4 billion for the first time. Under the framework of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, the quality upgrade and innovative development of the China-LAC cooperation is accelerating. More than 200 infrastructure projects and multiple industrial capacity cooperation projects built by China have generated more than one million jobs for the local people.
China-LAC cultural exchanges are vibrant and diverse. China has so far provided LAC countries with 17,000 government scholarships and around 13,000 training opportunities in China, and signed 26 cooperation documents on education with 19 regional countries. China has rolled out 240-hour visa-free transit policy for multiple LAC countries. Cultural exchanges under the framework of the China-CELAC Forum have flourished, continuously consolidating the foundation for people-to-people ties.
As an 11th-century Chinese poet wrote, “Life’s greatest joy comes from finding kindred spirits.” Latin America has a similar proverb which goes, “The one who has a friend has a treasure.” Though China and LAC countries are separated by mountains and oceans, both sides deeply cherish their friendship. No matter how the world changes, China will always stand by LAC countries as a good friend and a good partner, and march forward together on our paths toward modernization. Taking the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC Forum as an opportunity, China is ready to work with the LAC countries to discuss plans for development and cooperation, and jointly contribute wisdom and strength to addressing global challenges, promoting global governance reform and safeguarding world peace and stability.
