By Omega Dublin. Updated 8:58 a.m., Thursday, May 29, 2025, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
China hosted the 4th Ministerial Meeting of the Forum of China and the Community of Latin America and Caribbean States (CELAC) on May 13th where President Xi Jinping outlined plans to strengthen ties with Latin America and the Caribbean.
CELAC, the regional entity, established in January 2015 to build mutual understanding, advance political dialogue, economic collaboration and cultural exchange between China and the region, now comprises 33 member-states and at the opening ceremony, many delegates spoke of the positive experiences and benefits since its establishment.
China’s President Xi Jinping delivered an opening speech recalling his attendance at CELAC’s launch in 2015 and its First Ministerial Meeting in Beijing, alongside representatives of Latin American and Caribbean nations.
With careful nurturing on both sides, President Xi noted, the China-Latin America Forum has developed over the last ten years into a robust tree.
He said China is willing to work with Latin America to launch five major fronts, including Solidarity, Development, Civilization, Peace and Civics.
In the next three years, he noted, China will provide 3,500 government scholarship places to Latin American and Caribbean states, 10,000 training opportunities to China, 500 international Chinese teacher scholarship places, 300 training places for technical talents for poverty reduction, 1,000 group places for the “Chinese Bridge” project to come to the country and 300 “small but beautiful” livelihood projects to support CARICOM member countries develop Chinese education systems.
China will also implement the visa-free policy for the first time to five CELAC member-states and expand the coverage of regional countries in due course.
In his closing remarks, President Xi emphasized that “China will always be a good friend and partner of Latin American and Caribbean nations, support them on their individual modernization journeys and work with them to jointly write a new chapter in the development of a China-Latin American community with a shared future, regardless of how the global landscape changes.”
