BEIJING.— President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, stated on January 8 that the Asian nation, Latin America and the Caribbean are working to build a new platform of cooperation, for mutual benefit and shared gains, as well as development in different areas of production. During his inaugural speech of the first China-CELAC Ministerial Forum, Xi urged Latin American and Caribbean nations to unite with the Asian country in a “mutual agenda and to plan well in an effort to achieve an early harvest,” reported AVN.
According to Chinese government statistics, China-Latin America trade exceeded 240 billion dollars in 2014. To this must be added other plans, such as investments the Asian giant will make in the coming years in Nicaragua for the development of the Grand Inter-oceanic Canal, on which work began at the end of December 2014.
It is estimated that this project alone could mean some 50 billion dollars in Chinese financing, generating an immense flow of capital toward Central America. The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) will hold its annual summit at the end of January, in the Costa Rican capital of San José. However, the China-CELAC meeting which begins today in Bei¬jing opens a wide range of possibilities for the region. Previous to the Forum, Chinese President Xi Jinping received Latin American leaders Nicolás Maduro, from Venezuela; Luis Gui¬llermo Solís, from Costa Rica; and Rafael Correa, from Ecuador.
On receiving Venezuelan President, Nicolás Maduro, Xi Jinping expressed his support for Venezuela’s efforts to restructure its economy and consolidate its production model. Official versions released at the end of the meeting held in the Great Hall of the People, noted that Xi expressed his confidence that Venezuela will utilize the bilateral financial mechanisms and channel more investment into sectors such as energy, mining, agriculture and industry. President Luis Guillermo Solís from Costa Rica, and his Chinese counterpart, agreed to take a further step toward the consolidation and strengthening of relations between both countries and cooperation in various sectors, approving the future creation of special economic development zones.
Both dignitaries also agreed to promote cooperation in the development of infrastructures, as well as agricultural technology, clean energy and telecommunications. Solís arrived in Beijing on January 4 on an official visit to the country and attended the inauguration of the China-Celac Ministerial Forum in his role as President pro tempore of this integration mechanism, consisting of 33 independent states of the region. Meanwhile, Rafael Correa is making his first official visit to the nation as President of Ecuador.
He was received in the Great Hall of the People following official conversations between both heads of state, who previously attended the signing of 15 bilateral agreements which include among other sectors, technology and education. Also highlighted were agreements relating to the increase of scholarships for Ecuadorian students, greater exchanges between universities and more scientific and technological cooperation.
Correa arrived in Beijing on January 4 on an official visit to the country which will conclude January 9 in the cosmopolitan city of Shanghai where, according to Ecuadorian sources, agreements will be solidified, including one for the construction of a shipyard, and another relating to scientific research to develop geological and mining maps of Ecuador.
