Chinese President Xi Jinping outlined an ambitious roadmap for China-Latin American cooperation at the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC Forum in Beijing this week. With over 200 infrastructure projects already creating 1M+ jobs under Belt and Road initiatives, Xi introduced five groundbreaking programs to deepen ties between the regions. Here's what you need to know:
1. 🤝 Solidarity Program
China pledges to invite 300 political party members from CELAC countries annually for governance exchanges and vows mutual support on core issues like sovereignty and development paths.
2. 🚀 Development Program
A $9B+ credit line will fuel projects in clean energy, AI, and digital economy. Bilateral trade hit $500B+ in 2024 – up 40x since 2000!
3. 🎭 Civilization Program
Get ready for Latin American art seasons in China and joint archaeological projects. Plans include translating top TV shows between regions annually.
4. 🕊️ Peace Program
New security partnerships will tackle cybercrime and natural disasters, with China offering specialized law enforcement training.
5. 🌱 People-to-People Program
3,500+ scholarships, vocational training through Luban Workshops, and expanded visa-free travel to boost cultural exchanges.
Xi emphasized China's decade-long partnership with Latin America: "From pandemic support to lunar exploration projects, we've proven South-South cooperation can redefine global development." The speech marked 10 years since the forum's creation, now covering 40+ cooperation areas.
