Why are China and Latin America natural partners with a shared future?

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From vision to action, from strategy to reality

The much-anticipated Chancay Port has officially commenced operations in Peru on November 14. Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Peruvian counterpart, Dina Boluarte, attended the opening ceremony of the Chancay Port via video link. This Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) project, led and developed by Chinese companies, can reduce the direct shipping time between Peru and Asia. It also supports Peru's national development goals, positioning the country as a new hub in Latin America's supply chain and a gateway to the Pacific.

During President Xi's visit, the two sides signed a number of key cooperation agreements, including a protocol on upgrading the bilateral free trade agreement (FTA). Since the original FTA was signed in 2009, China has become Peru's largest trading partner. By 2023, the bilateral trade volume had reached around $37.69 billion, with 40 percent of Peru's export revenues coming from China. This upgraded FTA will enable more of each country's competitive products to benefit from reduced tariffs, while promoting mutually beneficial cooperation in emerging sectors at a high standard.

Peru's story is a snapshot of the deeper and more substantive cooperation between China and Latin America under the BRI over the past decade. Just as President Xi said at the 31st APEC Economic Leaders' meeting, "An ancient Chinese sage observed, 'A man of virtue, while establishing himself and pursuing success, also works to help others establish themselves and succeed.' There is a similar saying in Latin America which goes, 'The only way to be profitably national is to be generously universal.'" In July 2014, during a meeting in Brasilia with leaders from 11 Latin American countries, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the idea of building a community with a shared future between China and Latin America. This meeting also saw the creation of the Forum of China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (China-CELAC Forum). In January 2018, at the second Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC Forum, a special statement on the BRI was issued, marking a new chapter in China-Latin America relations guided by the BRI and driven by the vision of building a community with a shared future.

In Suriname, Chinese workers have been building hybrid microgrid solar power plants village by village. This effort has ended decades of reliance on diesel generators in dozens of villages, allowing residents to enjoy an uninterrupted 24-hour electricity supply for the first time. In Jamaica, the Chinese-built North-South Highway has connected several popular tourist destinations that were previously separated by the island's central mountain range. Locals now see this highway as a key driver of economic growth. In Colombia, the metropolitan area that links the national capital, Bogota, with nearby provincial capitals has become one of the fastest-growing urban centers in Latin America. For years, many people who worked in Bogota but lived in surrounding areas faced long daily commutes, often only able to return home at weekends. Now, a light rail project under construction by a Chinese company in western Bogota aims to shorten the commute to just 30 to 40 minutes for those living along its route. As of September 2023, China has been involved in over 200 infrastructure projects across Latin America. These include the construction of thousands of kilometers of roads, railways and light rails, more than 100 schools, hospitals and sports facilities, nearly 100 bridges and tunnels, and dozens of airports and ports – creating nearly one million jobs for local communities.

China's efforts go beyond infrastructure. China shares its experience in poverty reduction and development, while focusing on improving people's well-being as a foundation and a key goal in its engagement with Latin America. This includes helping Grenada draft national development strategies, co-developing medium-and long-term industrial development plans with Cuba, and signing memorandums of understanding with El Salvador and Trinidad and Tobago to cooperate on human resource development. China has also introduced techniques for bamboo and mushroom cultivation and processing, launched agricultural technology cooperation programs, and provided support in areas such as food aid, post-disaster reconstruction, refugee assistance, and maternal and child health. Moreover, China has established a South-South Climate Cooperation Fund to help Uruguay and Caribbean Island nations in building their capacity to respond to climate change.

As the Chinese and Latin American markets become increasingly integrated, Latin American agricultural products – such as Chilean cherries, Mexican avocados, Ecuadorian shrimp, Nicaraguan beef, and Colombian coffee – have found their way into millions of Chinese households, meeting the demand for high-quality and diverse food choices.

China and Brazil have also achieved remarkable results in technology cooperation, exchanging scientific personnel, and jointly developing application scenarios. Initiatives like sharing expertise on civilian regional aircraft, jointly developing Earth-resource satellites, and pharmaceutical R&D cooperation have infused technology-driven benefits into the well-being of both their people.

Step by step, the initiative of building a China-Latin America community with a shared future is turning into concrete actions, and what was a strategy in the past is now becoming a reality.

Uniting as a key force of the Global South

China and Latin America have always been a community with a shared future. Their shared struggles against foreign oppression, their fight for independence and self-determination, and their pursuit of a better life have, over the past decades, brought the hearts of the Chinese and Latin American people close to each other. Today, shared development goals, mutual strategic interests and a common sense of responsibility in this era make China and Latin America a key force within the Global South – a group, working to reshape the world order and reform global governance. Together, China and Latin America are natural partners in the pursuit of peace and a brighter future.

Political trust between China and Latin America has grown ever stronger. China sees Latin America as a major player in a multipolar world and an essential pillar of China's foreign policy. China has consistently approached its relations with Latin American countries from a strategic and long-term perspective. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, President Xi Jinping has personally shaped the vision for China-Latin America relations. He has visited Latin America five times since becoming president. He set foot on more than 10 Latin American and Caribbean countries, and these visits deepened political trust between him and leaders in the region. In the past two years, a steady stream of Latin American heads of state and government have visited China, leading to a new era in China-Latin America relations – one defined by equality, mutual benefit, innovation, openness and a focus on improving people's lives.

China-Latin America economic and trade cooperation is gaining greater momentum. Since the beginning of this century, trade between China and Latin America has grown rapidly, increasing from $12 billion in 2000 to $489.05 billion in 2023, and is expected to surpass $500 billion for the first time this year. China has become Latin America's second-largest trading partner only after the United States and the top trading partner outside the region for most Latin American countries. China has signed FTAs with Chile, Peru, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Ecuador, and has upgraded its agreements with Chile and Peru. China has also established an early harvest arrangement for its FTA with Honduras and has begun free trade negotiations with regional integration organizations like the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) and the Pacific Alliance. Latin America is China's second-largest destination for overseas investment after Asia, accounting for roughly one-fifth of China's total outstanding overseas investment. Chinese investments in the region are shifting from traditional sectors like resources and energy to emerging sectors such as smart manufacturing, electricity and telecommunications.

In terms of financial cooperation, China and Latin America have set up a new mechanism for development finance cooperation, creating a new vehicle for facilitating multilateral investment and financing. China has signed currency swap agreements with Argentina, Brazil, Suriname and Chile. In recent years, China and Brazil went through the full process of Chinese yuan-based trade transactions; Venezuela has announced the inclusion of the Chinese yuan in a currency basket alongside the ruble, yen, euro and Indian rupee for its new system of international payments.

The foundation for stronger people-to-people ties is being shored up. In recent years, the two sides have expanded the scope of exchanges in education, think tanks, media and tourism. In China, over 100 universities now offer Spanish and Portuguese language courses and over 70 research institutions focus on Latin American studies. In October 2019, the fifth China-CELAC Think Tanks Forum was held in Beijing. Several Latin American countries now allow conditional visa-free entry for Chinese citizens, with some even offering five-year multiple-entry visas. Moreover, four direct flight routes now connect China and Latin America, making travel more convenient for people on both sides.

Natural partners for building a shared future and pursuing common development

Latin America is currently at a critical juncture in its post-pandemic economic recovery. The region faces multiple challenges, including a global economic slowdown, disruptions in supply chains and falling commodity prices. These challenges are compounded by internal issues in many Latin American countries, such as complex government-market relationships, ongoing political strife and a lack of trust between political parties. As a result, these countries need both internal reforms and external support to drive development. According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), cooperation with China has become a crucial stabilizer for the region's economy. ECLAC estimates that for every 1 percent growth in China's economy, the economies of Latin America and the Caribbean see a 0.5 percent boost. This dynamic has forged a deeply interwoven pattern of mutual interests between China and Latin America. Guided by principles of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith and of pursuing the greater good and shared interest, China has consistently shared its development opportunities with Latin American countries to achieve common progress, a strategy that has earned trust and appreciation across the region.  

In contrast, the U.S. approach to Latin America has been markedly different. Unlike China, which emphasizes pragmatic bilateral cooperation, the U.S. has long viewed Latin America as its exclusive sphere of influence, treating the region as its "backyard." This has led to a pattern of engagement where the U.S. exploits and discards the region at its own will. The White House has been particularly hostile toward the development of China-Latin America relations in recent years, making every effort to push China out of the region. These efforts include churning out narratives such as the "China threat,""neocolonial exploitation,""debt trap" and "overcapacity," to tarnish China's image in the Western Hemisphere. Simultaneously, the U.S. has sought to support Taiwan's "diplomatic presence" in Latin America, aiming to counter China's legitimate pursuit of reunification. Washington has tried to undermine regional unity and weaken multilateral mechanisms in Latin America by courting right-wing factions and sidelining left-wing movements. It has also sought to pit the right-wing Latin American governments against China in international and multilateral forums, proposing initiatives like the "Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity" (APEP) as a counterweight to the BRI.

Many Latin American countries have grown weary of the U.S. "checkbook diplomacy," which often promises much but delivers little. The overreach of U.S. hegemony has long generated resentment in the region. This frustration became evident in 2022, when several Latin American leaders chose not to attend the U.S.-hosted Summit of the Americas. Increasingly, these countries are willing to challenge Washington's dominance openly. Even though the U.S. has shown renewed isolationist and protectionist tendencies in recent years, globalization and multipolarity remain the prevailing trends in today's world. Latin American countries, like others in the Global South, are increasingly asserting their rights to self-determination. They refuse to take sides and adopt a more balanced and pragmatic approach in their engagement with China.

Through participation in the BRI, Latin American countries see opportunities to strengthen connectivity with the Eurasian continent, while enhancing cooperation in trade and investment. This initiative will help diversify their trade partnerships and investment sources, increasing their autonomy in national development and reducing excessive economic dependence on the U.S. Within the framework of a China-Latin America community with a shared future, Latin American countries can enhance their economic strength and governance capabilities, overcome development bottlenecks and improve their political, economic and diplomatic standing relative to the U.S., hence leading to a more balanced relationship between the countries of North and South America.

Unlike the traditional U.S.-Latin America relationship, China-Latin America relations are built on mutual respect, guided by the principle of mutually beneficial cooperation, characterized by openness and inclusivity and aimed at shared development. "China welcomes all parties to continue riding the 'express train' of its development and grow together with the Chinese economy so that we can all contribute to the modernization of all countries featuring peaceful development, mutually beneficial cooperation and common prosperity," said President Xi. Together, China and Latin America are working to establish a new model of partnership that differs from traditional cooperation. The development of China-Latin America relations is in line with global trends and the course of history, serving the mutual interests of both China and Latin American countries. This partnership is set to achieve even greater success in the future, as it brings more stability to a world full of uncertainties, raises the shared voice of China and Latin America for fairness, justice and win-win cooperation to form a new paradigm of international relations and contributes more "China-Latin America energy" to the cause of building a community with a shared future for mankind.

The author Pan Deng is the Executive Director of the Latin America and Caribbean Region Law Center of China University of Political Science and Law.

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