In a framework of growing competition with USA, China promoted a series of diplomatic meetings this week with referents of Latin Americawith the aim of strengthening bilateral relations. In this way, this Monday the president Xi Jinping He headed meetings with referents to consolidate his presence in the region.
The meeting took place in the framework of the fourth edition of the China-Celac Ministerial Forum and was attended by the president of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Colombia, Gustavo Petro. There were also bilateral meetings with foreign ministers and officials from other countries of the Caribbean and South America.
“The objective of the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean It is to build your own homeland, Not being the backyard of any other country “said Chinese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Miao Deyu.
In that sense, he added: “We are willing to work together to oppose unilateralism and economic intimidation”
Amid the tension with the US, China reinforces its ties with Latin America
The meeting took place in the framework of a growing tension between China and the United States in recent months since the arrival of Donald Trump to the White House. The Secretary of State, Marco Rubiosaid Latin America will be a Geopolitical priority under its management And he already traveled to several countries in the region to consolidate his presence.
In any case, from Latin America there are varied positions on Trump’s proposals and there is a general discontent for the threats of commercial sanctions and the amagos of controlling the Panama Canal.
He was the president of Brazil, Lula da Silva the first to reject this position and made it clear: “For a long time it was thought that Brazil was the rear patio of the United States. But Brazil is not anyone’s backyard. It is a free and sovereign country, with its own interests, ”he said at a press conference in Beijing.” We want to treat the United States with great respect and be treated with great respect. We are a very large country, with 213 million people who love their country”He stressed.
On the other hand, the president announced that the Chinese company Envision Energy will make an investment of 1,000 million dollars in their country to develop sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from sugarcane. Agreements with the company were also signed Windey Technology For the creation of joint research centers in renewable energy, energy storage and clean technologies, in alliance with the Brazilian Technology Center Senai Cimatec.
For its part, the Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced that Colombia will join the initiative of the Strip and the route, The global infrastructure megaproject driven by Beijing. “This is a commitment to industrial development, for the appropriation of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, infrastructure and trade diversification,” said the president after a meeting with Chinese officials. In addition, he proposed to organize a United Celac-State Summit to balance hemispheric communication.
In 2024, bilateral trade between Beijing and Latin America reached 519,000 million dollarsthe double that ten years ago. Beijing mainly imports raw materials –soja, iron mineral, copper, lithium – and exports manufactured goods, from cars to semiconductors.
Source: Ambito
