Global Times: China and LAC countries deepen ties through development, security, cultural initiatives, forging a path of mutual benefit, deeper understanding
China-LAC ties deepen via green energy, tech, culture, and security under GDI, GSI, and GCI for shared sustainable growth.
Beijing, China, June 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On May 13, 2025, at the opening ceremony of the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC Forum, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech. "China will work with LAC countries to implement the Global Development Initiative," Xi said.
China is now Latin America's second-largest trading partner, and the region has become the second-largest destination for overseas Chinese investment, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
In recent years, China and the LAC have been actively promoted the GDI, with new energy cooperation emerging as a key highlight and driving force in bilateral relations.
Latin America is rich in renewable energy resources, boasting abundant solar and wind energy due to its long hours of sunlight, high solar radiation, and strong wind density, along with significant hydropower potential. Meanwhile, China has a complete industrial chain and extensive experience in the new energy sector. This complementary relationship presents tremendous opportunities for both sides to deepen practical cooperation in the pursuit of sustainable development.
Located at the southernmost tip of the world, on the Santa Cruz River in Argentina, the Nestor Kirchner-Jorge Cepernic Hydroelectric Power Plant stands as a vivid example of China-LAC cooperation for sustainable development.
Initiated in 2015, the project aimed to improve the country's energy infrastructure and satisfy the electricity needs of more than 1 million families. The project not only provides Argentina with clean energy but also creates significant employment opportunities, and contributes to infrastructure development, the Global Times learned from the constructor of the project, the China Energy Engineering Corporation Limited.
Moreover, the project exemplifies green development by prioritizing environmental preservation. As the project is situated roughly 100 kilometers from the Perito Moreno Glacier, UNESCO World Heritage site, protecting the surrounding ecological environment has been a key focus throughout the design and implementation phases.
Drawing on extensive experience, Chinese engineers reduced the dam's planned water storage level by 2.4 meters to avoid impacting the glacier. Features such as fish passages and ecological discharge outlets were incorporated into the design.
Beyond the hydroelectric power plant, the Chinese company has also contributed to improving Argentina's infrastructure and public services through a series of livelihood-focused projects. These include run-of-river hydropower stations, wastewater treatment plants, and water transmission pipelines.
Ronnie Lins, director of the China-Brazil Center for Research and Business, pointed out that the GDI focuses on promoting inclusive economic growth, emphasizing poverty reduction, combating inequalities, and promoting sustainable infrastructure.
China-LAC cooperation is inspired by a vision of human rights focused on development through the promotion of economic and social rights, according to Lins.
"By providing support to developing countries, China aims to lead the construction of a more equitable global economy," Lins said.
Argentina is not the only case. In a barren field outside a village in western Cuba, rows of blue photovoltaic panels convert sunlight into clean electricity. This marks Cuba's first solar power station, designed, procured, and built under a Chinese government initiative.
Near the site, González runs a small restaurant. "We used to suffer from constant blackouts. Now, with stable electricity, my business is finally improving," he said.
"While the Western model imposes values and sanctions, the China-LAC partnership emphasizes South-South solidarity, equality among nations, and the creation of material conditions that guarantee human rights, promote inclusive economic growth, and strengthen regional sovereignty," Lins said.
Joining hands to address urgent crises
China is willing to work with LAC countries to implement the GSI. Both sides should strengthen cooperation in disaster management, cybersecurity, counter-terrorism, anti-corruption, drug control, and combating transnational organized crime, and strive to maintain regional security and stability, Xi said at the opening ceremony of the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC Forum, according to Xinhua.
In Brazil, the China-Brazil Earth Resource Satellite (CBERS) project has become a vital tool for environmental monitoring and disaster response in recent decades, safeguarding the country's rich biodiversity and natural resources.
"Given Brazil's vast territory, CBERS satellites have become indispensable tools for environmental monitoring and disaster response, both within the country and internationally," Antonio Carlos Pereira Jr, the coordinator of the Space Segment of the CBERS Program and head of the Small Satellites Division at the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research, told the Global Times.
Pereira Jr further noted that projects developed using CBERS data, such as the official Brazilian deforestation monitoring program, track annual deforestation rates in the Amazon and serve as a critical reference for environmental policymaking. The Real-Time Deforestation Detection System generates near real-time alerts of illegal deforestation, enabling immediate action by law enforcement agencies to protect the rainforest.
CBERS images are also utilized within the framework of the International Charter "Space and Major Disasters," contributing to global emergency responses to events such as floods, forest fires, and oil spills. This collaboration underscores the importance of satellite technology in addressing environmental crises and enhancing disaster management efforts, according to Pereira Jr.
As the longest and most influential international cooperation project in the aerospace field, the CBERS stands as a model of "South-South cooperation," demonstrating how countries can work together to tackle shared challenges.
"By reducing technological disparities and fostering joint responses to global challenges, such as climate change, the CBERS project plays an irreplaceable role in building a community with a shared future for mankind, reinforcing peaceful space cooperation, and strengthening science as a collective tool for progress," said Pereira Jr.
In addition to disaster control, China and the LAC are also working together to enhance food security. For instance, in Brazil's soybean-producing region, Rio Grande do Sul, innovative technologies are transforming agricultural practices and enhancing food security.
Farmers in this region are harnessing cutting-edge technologies such as drones to monitor soil moisture, artificial intelligence to predict pest outbreaks, and block-chain to ensure traceability from the field to Chinese ports.
According to Dong Wei, CEO of COFCO International, the company has established a sustainable soybean supply chain in Brazil centered on product traceability. Through rigorous supplier audits, satellite remote sensing for land monitoring, and third-party certifications, the soybeans sourced from Brazilian farms do not contribute to deforestation or habitat destruction. This "technology + sustainability" model has also led to a significant increase in soybean yields in the country, rising from 2.8 tons per hectare in 2016 to an impressive 3.4 tons per hectare in 2024, greatly boosting food security.
Moreover, united by a commitment to multilateralism and self-improvement as nations of the Global South, China and LAC countries are engaged in increased cooperation to uphold multilateralism and promote justice on the global stage.
Evandro Menezes de Carvalho, a law professor at the Fluminense Federal University in Brazil, told the Global Times that he saw the three global initiatives as "a project to strengthen the foundations of multilateralism and the UN."
"You know when a building constructed in 1945 needs repairs and reinforcement of its physical structure? The three global initiatives serve this purpose: To strengthen, even if indirectly, the beautiful building of the UN, with its initiatives, norms, principles, its collaborators, and all those who still believe in the UN," he said.
Culture bridges worlds across the Pacific
China stands ready to work with LAC countries to implement the GCI, and uphold the values of equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness among civilizations, Xi said at the opening ceremony of the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC Forum.
In a rehearsal room in Rio de Janeiro, the gentle hum of violins gradually swells into a bold orchestral overture. For Marcia Melchior, founder of the Orquestra Forte de Copacabana, music is more than a profession - it's a mission to uplift vulnerable communities through culture and connection. That mission took on new meaning in November 2024, when she received a reply letter from Xi
"It reinforced the idea that our mission resonates beyond borders," Melchior said after receiving the letter. "Knowing that he values the cultural connection we're building motivates our entire team and young musicians to keep striving for excellence."
Founded in 2011, her orchestra is now part of a broader tapestry of cultural cooperation unfolding between China and Latin American countries under the GCI, which aims to foster cross-cultural dialogue and mutual learning. This vision is currently vividly being realized in Latin America.
From the spice-laden kitchens of Lima to the martial arts studios of Sao Paulo, the fusion of Chinese and Latin American cultures is no longer a novelty. It is becoming a sustained, living dialogue.
In Peru, "Chifa" cuisine - a unique blend of Chinese culinary techniques and local ingredients - has become a beloved staple of the capital's food scene. In Mexico City, the annual Spring Festival temple fair draws thousands of visitors. In Brazil, Chinese martial arts are thriving far from their Shaolin roots.
Meanwhile, many Confucius Institutes have been established across the region, serving as platforms for fostering deeper understanding. Beyond the classroom, Chinese and Latin American scholars have launched joint archaeological expeditions, unearthing shared histories of ancient civilizations.
Even the silver screen has joined the chorus. Joint film productions between China and countries like Argentina and Chile are bringing together directors, actors, and screenwriters in artistic dialogue.
In Melchior's eyes, this is just the beginning. "Cultural cooperation can move people's hearts," she said. "This is a powerful form of diplomacy we have."
"Through projects that promote the exchange of cultural, educational, and artistic experiences, the GCI can serve as a bridge to build mutual understanding and bring the two regions closer," Lins told the Global Times in a previous interview.
This story first appeared in Global Times:
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202506/1336446.shtml
Company: Global Times
Contact Person: Anna Li
Email: editor@globaltimes.com.cn
Website: https://globaltimes.cn
City: Beijing
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