Chinese FM calls on China, LAC countries to implement consensus reached by leaders

BEIJING -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi presided over the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC (the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum in Beijing on Tuesday. The meeting was attended by foreign ministers, representatives of member states of the CELAC, as well as heads of regional organizations.

Noting that this year marks the tenth anniversary of the official launch of the China-CELAC Forum, Wang said that over the past decade, the forum has become an important platform for equal dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries.

Wang said that the cooperation between China and LAC countries refuses camp confrontation and advocates openness and win-win results, setting a new model for building a new type of international relations and providing fresh impetus for Global South cooperation.

As developing countries and members of the Global South, China and LAC countries should join hands to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests, Wang added.

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the meeting, providing strategic guidance for the future development of China-LAC relations, Wang said.

He said that to implement the consensus reached by the leaders of China and LAC states, China is willing to work with LAC countries to firmly support each other's core interests, continue to deepen practical economic and trade cooperation, actively carry out cooperation on peace and security, constantly enhance exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, and resolutely safeguard international fairness and justice.

Foreign ministers of LAC countries expressed high appreciation for China's new initiative on cooperation as well as a series of global initiatives proposed by President Xi. They said they look forward to making full use of the China-CELAC Forum to seize new opportunities arising from China's high-quality development, expand all-round cooperation, and achieve mutual benefit and win-win results.

LAC countries will firmly abide by the one-China principle, jointly safeguard the basic norms of international relations such as sovereign equality and non-interference in internal affairs, adhere to multilateralism, and work together to build a peaceful, just, green, inclusive and sustainable future, they said.

The meeting adopted the Beijing declaration of the meeting, and the China-CELAC joint action plan for cooperation in key areas (2025-2027).