Costa Rica has played a key role as a bridge between Asia and Latin America in a relationship marked by South-South cooperation, mutual respect, and the absence of geopolitical calculations.
This was emphasized by Wang Xiaoyao, Chinese Ambassador to Costa Rica, who underscored the country’s strategic importance in strengthening bi-regional dialogue through the China-CELAC Forum, whose fourth ministerial meeting will be held on May 13.
In an interview, the diplomat reviewed the forum’s achievements in its ten years of existence and outlined the objectives of this new edition, which seeks to project a shared vision of development, integration, and revitalization.
How was the China-CELAC Forum founded?
In February 2011, 33 Latin American and Caribbean countries established the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). Three years later, in January 2014, the CELAC Summit held in Havana approved the Special Declaration on the Establishment of the China-CELAC Forum, expressing the active willingness of the region’s countries to strengthen their comprehensive cooperation with China. In July 2014, President Xi Jinping visited Latin America (Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, and Cuba) and attended the Leaders’ Meeting of China and LAC Countries in Brasilia. The two sides jointly announced the establishment of the China-LAC Comprehensive Cooperation Partnership, characterized by equality, mutual benefit, and common development, and decided to formally establish the China-CELAC Forum, which has become a new starting point for jointly building a better future for both sides.
Since then, China and Latin America have successfully held three ministerial meetings of the Forum, respectively in 2015 (Beijing, January), 2018 (Santiago, Chile, January), and 2021 (December, online). At each meeting, they have shared the outcome documents and a joint action plan for a period, comprehensively promoting China-LAC cooperation.
The very founding of CELAC reflects the strong will of Latin American countries to pursue unity, self-reliance, and common development. Although China and Latin America are geographically far apart, both are developing countries and, historically, have been deeply oppressed by imperialism and colonialism and have fought valiantly for their national independence and the freedom of their peoples. Currently, they are striving to pave the way for development and prosperity. The founding of the China-CELAC Forum represents the choice of China and Latin American countries to actively respond to future challenges and is also the result of the unity and self-reliance of the countries of the Global South. In 2014, Costa Rica assumed the pro tempore presidency of CELAC and has made an important contribution to the establishment of the Forum.
What achievements has the China-CELAC Forum achieved in the past 10 years?
First, an appropriate mechanism has been established to promote cooperation in various fields. For example, ministerial meetings, regular dialogues between the Quartet and national coordinators’ meetings, as well as a series of sub-forums have been institutionalized. To date, the China-Latin America and the Caribbean Business Summit has held 17 sessions and is creating new growth areas for cooperation in areas such as new energy, electric vehicles, and digital technology. The China-Latin America and the Caribbean Infrastructure Cooperation Forum has been held 10 times. The China-Latin America and the Caribbean Science and Technology Innovation Forum and the China-Latin America and the Caribbean Think Tank Exchange Forum have been held four times. The Forum on Local Government Cooperation has held three editions, while the sub-forums for Ministers of Agriculture, New Energy Cooperation, Transportation, Poverty Reduction, and Development have been very popular.
Secondly, practical cooperation has achieved remarkable results. When the China-CELAC Forum was founded in 2014, President Xi Jinping proposed striving to increase China-Latin America trade volume to US$500 billion within 10 years. In 2024, China-Latin America trade volume reached $518.4 billion, which almost doubled compared to that of 2014. 80% of the $35 billion financing package for Latin America announced by China has been executed, covering almost all
Countries with diplomatic relations with China in the region. In the past 10 years, China has provided Latin America with a total of 17,000 government scholarships and 13,000 training places in China and has launched more than 200 infrastructure projects, creating nearly one million jobs. Direct sea routes between the ports of Chancay and Shanghai, and between the port of Santana and Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, have opened new avenues for land and sea transportation between Asia and Latin America.
Third, China and Latin America have achieved integrated development. China has been the second-largest trading partner of Latin America and the Caribbean for many consecutive years, and the first-largest trading partner of Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay. China has established various types of partnerships with more than 10 countries in the region, more than 20 countries have joined the Belt and Road Initiative, and five countries are China’s free trade partners. China has established 68 Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms in 26 countries in the region, and the Chinese New Year has been declared an official holiday in several countries, including Costa Rica. In international affairs, China and Latin America are firmly committed to multilateralism, vigorously upholding the authority of the United Nations. Both sides collaborate closely on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, the G20, APEC, and BRICS. Last year, China and Brazil jointly issued the six-point consensus on the Ukraine crisis and launched the initiative to establish the Friends for Peace group at the United Nations, thus contributing to the strength of the Global South in defending world peace and resolving hotspot issues.
When will the 4th Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC Forum be held and what are the expected outcomes?
The Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC Forum will be held on May 13 of this year. President Xi Jinping will attend the opening ceremony and deliver a keynote address, in which he will review relations between China and Latin America and the Caribbean, and propose important initiatives and measures for the development of relations between the two sides.
Two outcome documents are expected to be published: the Beijing Declaration of the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC Forum and the Joint Action Plan for China-CELAC Cooperation (2025-2027). The Beijing Declaration will focus on the political consensus reached at the Meeting, while the Joint Action Plan for Cooperation will provide concrete planning.
Cooperation in all sectors between China and LAC in the next three years will benefit both sides in addressing the sharp rise of protectionism and unilateralism and countering the pressure of trade and tariff wars.
What can Costa Rica do as a link between China and Central America?
Costa Rica is the first Central American country to establish diplomatic relations with China in the new century, the first to establish a strategic partnership, and the first to sign the Free Trade Agreement with China. We have always valued Costa Rica’s important role as a link between China and Central America.
In 2014, Costa Rica assumed the pro tempore presidency of CELAC and contributed significantly to the creation of the China-CELAC Forum. Since then, Costa Rica has participated in all of the Forum’s ministerial meetings. Costa Rica sent Mr. Alejandro Solano, Vice Minister of Multilateral Relations, to attend this meeting. We are confident that this visit will contribute to building consensus between both countries not only bilaterally but also regionally, and will promote the development and prosperity of China, Costa Rica, and Latin America.
What message does China hope to send to the world through this Ministerial Meeting?
The theme of this ministerial meeting is “Planning Together for Development and Revitalization, Together Building the China-Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Community with a Shared Future.” This theme sends a very clear signal: China and Latin America belong to the global South, and both sides embrace the mission of pursuing development for the nation and well-being for the people. China and Latin America share a common destiny. The two sides will always unite, coordinate, and overcome difficulties together, setting an example for South-South cooperation.
In March of this year, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated in an interview that China-LAC cooperation is a South-South cooperation, characterized by mutual support and free from any geopolitical calculations. In our exchanges with LAC countries, China always upholds the principles of equal treatment, mutual benefit, and shared benefits, and never seeks influence or targets any party. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also noted that China-LAC cooperation has been welcomed because it respects the will of the LAC people, meets the needs of LAC countries, and provides a reliable option and a broad perspective for the revitalization of the region.
