BEIJING, May 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Chinese President Xi Jinping met respectively with Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Chilean President Gabriel Boric on Wednesday, who are in Beijing for the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC (the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum.
When meeting with his Colombian counterpart Gustavo Petro, Xi said China and Colombia should take the latter’s formal accession to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as an opportunity to upgrade bilateral cooperation, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
After their meeting, the two heads of state witnessed the signing of a cooperation plan between the two governments on jointly building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road.
Noting Colombia’s significance in Latin America, Xi said China has always regarded its relations with the country from a strategic and long-term perspective.
“This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Colombia. Standing at a new historical starting point, China is willing to make joint efforts with Colombia to advance our strategic partnership and bring more benefits to the two peoples,” Xi said, per Xinhua.
The successful holding of the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC Forum has sent a positive signal to the world for seeking shared development and revitalization, Xi said, hailing the contribution of Colombia to the meeting as the CELAC rotating chair.
China is willing to work with Colombia and other LAC countries to continuously promote the building of a community with a shared future, Xi said.
Petro said Colombia looks forward to further boosting ties with China, and that both sides should deepen political mutual trust and enhance mutual support. He called on both sides to work on the BRI, expand cooperation in areas such as trade, infrastructure, new energy and AI, and improve people’s lives, according to Xinhua.
Noting that the international situation is complex and volatile, Petro said the practices adopted by some countries to pursue unilateral gains are not conducive to the world, and all countries should stand together to respond.
Noting that this year marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Chile, Xi told Chilean leader Boric that the two countries should constantly enrich the connotation of their comprehensive strategic partnership, create a model of common development between China and Latin American countries, set a stellar example of South-South cooperation, and jointly promote the cause of peace and progress for humanity, per Xinhua.
Xi said China is willing to work with Chile to consolidate political mutual trust, enhance exchanges of experience in governance, firmly support each other on issues concerning their core interests and major concerns, and safeguard each other’s sovereignty, security and development interests.
Xi called on the two countries to implement the Belt and Road cooperation plan, deepen cooperation on agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fisheries, industrial investment, infrastructure and green minerals, and cultivate new growth points in astronomy, polar regions, artificial intelligence, biomedicine and the digital economy.
Noting that China has become Chile’s most important trading partner, Boric said that bilateral cooperation has benefited the two peoples, according to Xinhua.
He said Chile will firmly adhere to the one-China principle, and that it is ready to expand cooperation with China on trade, investment and artificial intelligence, jointly advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges.
On Tuesday, Xi also held talks with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Beijing.
At the Great Hall of the People, Xi and Lula witnessed the signing of 20 cooperation documents covering the fields of development strategy alignment, science and technology, agriculture, digital economy, finance, inspection and quarantine, and media.
The fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC Forum was held in Beijing on Tuesday. The meeting adopted the Beijing declaration and the China-CELAC joint action plan for cooperation in key areas (2025-2027).
Diversified cooperation
At the press conference on Wednesday, Lula said that the Beijing Declaration is an inspiration for developing countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Beijing Declaration brings hope. It shows that economically strong countries like China are thinking about how to contribute to the development of the poorest countries, Lula said.
Posting a video of the signing of cooperation plan on BRI on social media platform X on Wednesday, Petro wrote that “the history of our foreign relations is changing.”
“From now on, Colombia will interact with the entire world on a footing of equality and freedom,” he wrote.
Deepened cooperation between China and CELAC members at the forum sends an important signal to countries in the Global South that their collaboration can obtain opportunities for diversified development through the Chinese market, Yin Zhiguang, a professor in international politics at Fudan University, told the Global Times.
Equal partnership
China does not demand reforms, nor cuts to rights, nor privatizations in exchange for investments, but only advocates cooperation and partnership. That is why the Beijing Declaration could be the new milestone in the economic and diplomatic orientation of Latin America in the 21st century, wrote Leonardo Attuch, founder and CEO of Brasil 247, a Brazilian news and political analysis website.
The forum reflects China’s consistent support for the cause of the Global South, which is to promote an international order that is more equal, just and free from the dominance and interference of major powers, said Yin, pointing out that the slew of outcome documents indicate that great power politics is not the only option – multilateral cooperation, consultation, and mutual assistance is also a model of global governance.
