CHINESE President Xi Jinping has announced the launch of five programs at the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC Forum in Beijing.
The forum, held on Tuesday 13 May and attended by 28 CELAC countries, six regional organizations and over 50 ministerial officials, was dubbed a success by Beijing. CELAC is the abbreviation for Community of the Latin Americans and Caribbeans.
CELAC member states are Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Granada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi moderated the plenary meeting.
President Xi attended the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote speech. Colombian President and the current CELAC President Gustavo Petro, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Chilean President Gabriel Boric, and President of the New Development Bank Dilma Rousseff also delivered addresses. President Yamandú Orsi of Uruguay, the incoming CELAC President, sent a congratulatory message.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a press briefing that the meeting was successfully held – adopted the Beijing Declaration and the China-CELAC Joint Action Plan for Cooperation in key areas (2025-2027), and also reached more than 100 three-year cooperation projects.
China also announced 20 measures in supporting LAC countries’ development at the meeting, Lin said.
Lin said held on the 10th anniversary of the official launch of the China-CELAC Forum, the meeting has sent the voice of China and CELAC jointly, meeting challenges through solidarity and coordination.
“The biggest highlight of this meeting is that President Xi Jinping systematically summarized the successful experiences of the development of China-LAC relations.
“He (Xi) announced the launch of five programs, which are: Solidarity Program, Development Program, Civilization Program, Peace Program and People-to-People Program.
“The five programs will further consolidate political foundation, promote common prosperity, deepen mutual learning between civilizations, promote regional stability and people-to-people friendship which points the direction for the building of a China-LAC community with a shared future,” Lin explained.
Lin said following important common understandings were reached at the meeting, the China-CELAC Forum was a success over the past decade, and the two sides will expand the areas and improve the quality of cooperation.
China and LAC countries share a common future in development, and the two sides will stand firmly together despite “winds and rains and resist external disturbances, Lin said.
“China-LAC solidarity goes with the trend of the times, and the two sides, as important members of the Global South and important forces promoting multipolarity and greater democracy in international relations, will enhance solidarity and cooperation and jointly address transformation and instability in the world.
“China-LAC cooperation enjoys promising prospects, as the two sides combined create a mega-sized market with a population of 2 billion, and this will provide new driving forces and new opportunities for the growth of both sides and the wider world.
“China-LAC cooperation can withstand winds and rains and transcend mountains and oceans over the distance of half a globe.
“China will deliver on the initiatives announced by President Xi Jinping, and work with LAC countries to continue to support each other on issues concerning each other’s core interests and major concerns, jointly implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, uphold the multilateral trading system and an environment for open cooperation, and defend international fairness and justice as well as world peace and stability.
“We believe that as we address risks and challenges in solidarity and coordination, and pursue development and prosperity through mutually beneficial cooperation, the China-CELAC Forum will head firmly towards the next golden decade, and open up a new chapter of the Global South seeking strength through unity and building a community with a shared future for mankind,” Lin emphasised.
By DELI-SHARON OSO
In Beijing, China
