China reaffirmed its status as a reliable partner with a broad portfolio of projects of interest

By: Roberto Morejón

During the fourth Ministerial Meeting of the Forum between China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), China reaffirmed its status as a reliable partner with a broad portfolio of projects of interest.

Beijing was an appropriate venue for the forum, during which the host country advocated for planning and building a shared future.

On the tenth anniversary of the China-CELAC Forum's establishment, representatives from China and the 33 Latin American and Caribbean countries reaffirmed their commitment to fostering development.

They also called for the revitalization of procedures that benefit all parties while respecting independence and sovereignty.

Over the past decade, the subcontinent has witnessed China implement numerous cooperative projects on an equal footing, free of hegemony and impositions.

To date, China has established partnerships with 16 Latin American and Caribbean countries. The region's members support the Global Development Initiative and the Belt and Road Initiative, and more than 20 nations have developed strategies in collaboration with their distant partner.

The volume of trade underscores this, exceeding $518 billion in 2024-double the figure reported ten years ago.

China has become the second largest trading partner of the region south of the Rio Bravo, where more than 200 infrastructure projects have already been executed, creating millions of jobs.

Progress has also been made in the qualification of human resources, as Beijing has granted Latin America and the Caribbean 17,000 government scholarships and 13,000 training positions for Latin Americans and Caribbeans.

As highlighted at the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC Forum, it is also possible to go further in the links, such as coordinating positions in international organizations in favor of multilateralism.

China and CELAC have also reiterated that Latin America and the Caribbean is a zone of peace, a position that sends an important message, at a time when the United States is trying out trade wars.

It is no coincidence that President Xi Jinping emphasized at the beginning of the forum in Beijing that in the face of geopolitical turbulence and the resurgence of unilateralism and protectionism, China is willing to work on very concrete programs with Latin America and the Caribbean.