Politics
22:25, 22-Jan-2018
China's FM: Belt and Road Initiative in Latin America is no geopolitical competition
["china"]
Share
Copied
China invited Latin American and Caribbean countries to join its Belt and Road Initiative on Monday, as part of an agreement to deepen economic and political cooperation in the region.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is in the Chilean capital city of Santiago for the second ministerial meeting for the China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Forum.
'We think this meeting has been a great success. It marks a new beginning, it is a handshake between Latin America and the Caribbean, and China, across the Pacific Ocean," Wang told delegates from the 33 members of the CELAC states.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends the second ministerial meeting for the China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Forum, Jan. 22, 2018. /VCG Photo
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends the second ministerial meeting for the China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Forum, Jan. 22, 2018. /VCG Photo
He read out a congratulatory message addressed by Chinese President Xi Jinping to the forum. The Chinese leader called on efforts to increase connectivity that links China and Latin American countries.
After Monday's meeting, representatives from China and CELAC signed a broad agreement to expand ties, bolster trade and take action on climate change.
The bloc was formed in Venezuela in 2011 that does not include the US and Canada, the historical strong players in the region.
Wang said the Belt and Road Initiative will give new impetus to China-CELAC cooperation.
"The Belt and Road Initiative is a public good that is designed to promote global economic cooperation, not geopolitics competition, and that is to promote discussion and collaboration, not a zero-sum game," Wang said.
He added that China will always stay committed to the path of peaceful development and welcome any individual country that shares the Belt and Road idea.
The Belt and Road Initiative, proposed in 2013 by President Xi, has promoted connectivity links between Asia, Africa and Europe, with billions of dollars in infrastructure investment.
A Chinese ship is anchored at Brazil's Port of Santos while being loaded with soybeans, May 19, 2015. /VCG Photo
A Chinese ship is anchored at Brazil's Port of Santos while being loaded with soybeans, May 19, 2015. /VCG Photo
Wang said Beijing has signed deals with over 80 countries and international organizations, worth over 50 billion US dollars, creating 200,000 jobs in those participant countries.
The Chinese foreign minister said he foresees bright prospect of China-CELAC cooperation. In recent years, China has signed free-trade agreements and energy cooperation deals with Chile, Peru and Costa Rica to facilitate trade and investment, and Beijing has invested more than 17 billion US dollars in the region, he said, without giving further details.
Chile Foreign Minister Heraldo Munoz applauded Monday's agreement, saying it marked a "historic" new era of dialogue between the region and China.
On the sideline of the forum, Wang also met his counterparts from Venezuela, Bolivia and Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
(With inputs from Reuters)