Second China-CELAC Ministerial Meeting: Exploring opportunities for cooperation

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‍Chile will host the second Ministerial Meeting of China and the Community of Latin American and the Caribbean States forum known as CELAC on January 22. Mexico's mainstream media published an article by Wang Yi, minister of foreign affairs of China, on Saturday.

Wang Yi said in the article that this is an important practice in the region of Latin America and the Caribbean after the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). China and Latin America will sum up their achievements, plan the future and push China-Latin America's overall partnership towards a higher level.

Chinese President Xi Jinping initiated China and the Community of Latin American and the Caribbean States forum in 2014. It is one of the pioneering achievements of major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics, marking the new stage of bilateral relations and bilateral cooperation between the two sides.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) and his Costa Rican counterpart Manuel Gonzalez Sanz hold a press conference in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 9, 2015. /Xinhua Photo

Great achievements

Wang Yi noted that for more than three years, China-CELAC forum has got a solid start and remarkable achievements. Seventeen subforum activities were launched one after another, covering more than 10 different areas of cooperation.

China has steadily implemented the package of financing arrangements and benefited more than 80 people's livelihood projects in more than 20 Latin American and the Caribbean countries. It has invited more than 800 political party leaders and more than 200 young leaders to visit China and provided nearly 4,000 training and more than 200 on-the-job postgraduates opportunities in China.

China-Latin America Scientific and Technological Partnership Program and China-Latin America Young Scientists Exchange Program were successfully implemented. Cultural Exchange between China and Latin America has strengthened the understanding of each other's cultural charm.

Insist on respect, mutual benefit, openness and inclusiveness

Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks at the opening ceremony of the First Ministerial Meeting of the Forum of China and the Community of Latin American and the Caribbean States (CELAC), in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 8, 2015. /Xinhua Photo

Wang said that both sides should adhere to mutual respect and promote peaceful development. During President Xi Jinping's three visits, Xi has made extensive exchanges with Latin American and the Caribbean leaders in the double multilateral occasions, establishing a comprehensive cooperative partnership. The Five-in-One new pattern of China-Latin America relations depicts a new blueprint for building a community of destiny of China and Latin America.

Adhering to mutual benefit and practicing the correct concept of righteousness and benefit are also important. According to the actual needs of Latin American countries, Chinese enterprises will actively participate in the construction of large projects, helping Latin American countries to break the bottleneck of development, improve economic competitiveness and social livelihood. China has more than 2,000 enterprises in Latin America, and Latin America has become the second largest destination for China's overseas investment.

Ernesto Samper (L Front), secretary general of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), and China's Minister of Science and Technology Wan Gang (R Front) attend the Forum between the Community of Latin American and the Caribbean States (CELAC) and China on Science, Technology and Innovation, Sept 16, 2015. /Xinhua Photo‍

Wang also stressed the importance of cultural openness in the article. China has established 36 Confucius colleges and 11 Confucius classes in 16 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, establishing the first Chinese cultural center in Mexico City. China-Latin America Media Leaders' Summit was successfully held and a news exchange center was set up. When some Latin American and the Caribbean countries suffered serious natural disasters, China was the first to extend support.

New beginning in the new era

Latin America and the Caribbean is the natural extension of the "Maritime Silk Road" in history, and now the indispensable participating parties of the Belt and Road Initiative, which Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed in 2013.

China expects to promote the practical cooperation of China and Latin America in all directions during the process of joint construction of the "Belt and Road", and advance the cooperation between China and Latin America as a new model for South-South cooperation.