China calls for closer ties with Latin America

Officials support stronger partnership to promote South-South collaboration

A senior Communist Party of China official called on Tuesday for enhancing unity and cooperation between China and Latin American and Caribbean countries to promote a more just and equitable international order amid the complex evolution of the international landscape.

Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, made the remark in Beijing at the fourth China-CELAC Political Parties' Forum, themed "Gathering Political Party Strength for a China-LAC Community with a Shared Future". CELAC refers to the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States.

"We must proactively shoulder the historical responsibility of safeguarding the common interests of the Global South countries, promoting the development of the international order toward a more just and equitable direction," Liu said.

He called on LAC countries to work with China to jointly uphold true multilateralism, oppose hegemony and power politics, enhance the representation and voice of developing countries in the international governance system, and collectively create a peaceful and stable environment for regional and global security.

Attending the forum were leaders of nearly 100 political parties and regional party organizations from 30 LAC countries, as well as diplomatic envoys of LAC countries to China. They voiced support for the building of a closer China-LAC community with a shared future and vowed to play a greater role in forming a collective force of developing countries to reshape the international order.

Speaking at the forum, Leonardo Resende, national youth president of the Brazilian Democratic Movement, said President Xi Jinping's fruitful visit to Brazil last month has laid a solid foundation for bilateral cooperation.

"As two major developing countries ... China and Brazil must shoulder the significant historical responsibility of defending the common interests of the Global South and promoting the development of the international order toward a more just and equitable direction," Resende said.

Jorge Taiana, secretary of international relations of the Justicialist Party of Argentina, warned against external interference from some Western powers in the pragmatic cooperation between China and LAC countries.

He said that whether in commercial exchanges, infrastructure investment, or technological cooperation, China has become the most significant and reliable partner of Latin America.

Alberto Blanco, representative of the Communist Party of Cuba and Cuban ambassador to China, said the LAC-China community with a shared future has strengthened joint efforts to address major challenges, such as climate change and unilateral sanctions.

The current extremely unequal and undemocratic global order urgently needs to change, Blanco said, adding the true value of China's vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind lies in its actions to put vision into reality.

Cuba supports China-proposed major initiatives and the closer and broader connections between China and LAC countries to make the world a better place through South-South cooperation, he said.

Carlos Tubino, representative of the Popular Force Party of Peru and former president of the Foreign Relations Commission of Peru's Congress, said the key to China-LAC cooperation lies in mutual respect. "We support (an) open global economy and oppose any actions that hinder free trade."