China is oceans apart from Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), but friendly relations between China and LAC countries have enjoyed a long history. Over the past 60 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between them, China-LAC relations have continued to reach new heights. In particular, since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics has been forging ahead, work concerning ties with LAC countries has made great strides, and China-LAC relations have entered into a new era, which features equality, mutual benefits, innovation, openness, and benefits for the people. As a diplomat who had worked with LAC countries for a long time, I am honored to have personally experienced and participated in this great journey. In my view, China-LAC relations in this period can be summarized in the following aspects.

First, China and LAC countries have always treated each other as equals and expanded mutual political trust. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, President Xi Jinping has visited LAC countries five times and, on the basis of equality and friendship, communicated with their leaders on strengthening China-LAC relations and cooperation in various fields, putting forward a series of major initiatives and measures. In July 2014, during his visit to Brazil, President Xi met with leaders of LAC countries, the first such meeting. He proposed establishing a comprehensive cooperative partnership between China and LAC countries featuring equality, mutual benefit and common development, building a five-pronged new pattern for China-LAC ties, creating a "1+3+6" framework of practical cooperation, and working hand-in-hand to build a China-LAC community with a shared future. These proposals have received wide support and positive responses from countries in the region. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, President Xi has maintained close communication with leaders of LAC countries in the form of "cloud diplomacy", "anti-epidemic diplomacy" and "Winter Olympics diplomacy", providing guidance for the development of China-LAC relations. China continues to enlarge its circle of friends in the region. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China has established or resumed diplomatic relations with Panama, Dominica, El Salvador and Nicaragua, increasing the number of LAC countries with which China has diplomatic relations to 25. China and LAC countries have understood and supported each other on issues related to each other's core interests and major concerns, and worked closely in international organizations and under multilateral frameworks, such as the United Nations, G20, APEC and BRICS, thus vigorously safeguarding the common interests of developing countries.

Second, China and LAC countries have always stayed committed to mutual benefit and win-win results, with practical cooperation increasingly deepened. In recent years, China and LAC countries have further aligned development strategies under the guidance of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and jointly implemented new ideas and initiatives such as the "1+3+6" framework of practical cooperation, achieving fruitful cooperative results in various fields. China has signed BRI cooperation agreements with 21 countries in the region. Trade between China and LAC countries increased from $261.2 billion in 2012 to $451.6 billion in 2021. China has been the second largest trading partner of the region for a number of years in a row, and is the top trading partner of Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Peru, Uruguay and Panama. China is the third largest contributor of foreign investment in the region, which is the second largest destination for Chinese outbound investment, with more than 3,000 Chinese-funded enterprises in the region. Financial cooperation between China and LAC countries is also flowering. China has launched currency swaps with the renminbi with Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Suriname, and Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay have officially joined the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Uruguay has become one of the first new members of the New Development Bank (NDB), established by BRICS countries. Using the new business forms and models brought about by the epidemic, China and LAC countries have actively promoted cooperation in emerging fields, such as big data, artificial intelligence, 5G, internet of things and clean energy, and created the "Digital Silk Road", "Online Silk Road", and "Green Silk Road" initiatives between the two sides, injecting new momentum into practical cooperation.

Third, China and LAC countries have remained committed to strengthening solidarity and self-reliance, with overall cooperation promoted in an orderly way. In July 2014, President Xi and leaders of LAC countries announced the establishment of the Forum of China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (China-CELAC Forum). The establishment of the forum marked the beginning of a new stage for China-LAC relations in which bilateral cooperation and the cooperation between China and the LAC as a whole run in parallel and reinforce each other. It has extended China's regional cooperation frameworks to cover all developing countries. In the past eight years, the China-CELAC Forum has achieved fruitful results and held 63 events in 19 areas, including three ministerial meetings. The forum has become a major platform to pool resources from both sides to deepen friendship. China's pledge to offer $35 billion in loans to LAC countries has been underway smoothly, with nearly $22 billion already approved to fund more than 100 projects for improving people's likelihood in more than 20 countries in the region. Under the umbrella of the China-CELAC Forum, the "Bridge to the Future" Training Program for One Thousand Chinese and Latin American Youth Leaders, the China-Latin America Young Scholars Program, the China- Latin America Science and Technology Partnership Program, and the China-Latin America Media Exchange Centre have all been successfully implemented, directly benefiting more than 10,000 people on the LAC side. In addition, China has also actively developed relations with the region's organizations, such as the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) and the Pacific Alliance.

Fourthly, China and LAC countries have always held heart-to-heart communication, with incredible achievements made in people-to-people and cultural exchange. In recent years, China and LAC countries have developed greater understanding between both sides. To date, more than 120 colleges in China offer Spanish language courses, nearly 40 colleges offer Portuguese language courses, and nearly 60 research institutions and universities have set up LAC or LAC country-targeted research centers. Forty-five Confucius Institutes and 13 Confucius Classrooms were established in 24 LAC countries. China has declared 24 countries in the region as destinations of Chinese tourists and many countries have made visa application easier for Chinese tourists, which greatly facilitated people-to-people exchanges between the two sides. The Year of China-Latin America Cultural Exchange was held successfully in 2016, with activities carried out in nearly 30 LAC countries and several Chinese provinces and cities, which brought the China-LAC people-to-people and cultural exchanges to a new height. Not long ago, the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO) voted to admit China as an observer state of the faculty, providing a new platform to enhance mutual understanding.

Fifth, China and LAC countries have always shared a common destiny and achieved fruitful cooperation in combating COVID-19. In China’s hardest fight against the epidemic, leaders of many LAC countries publicly expressed their support, and some countries tried their best in donating nearly 1.7 million anti-epidemic items to China. In giving back, China donated nearly 40 million items of urgently needed medical supplies and equipment to 30 countries in the region, organized more than 100 video conferences to share experience, sent several teams of medical experts to offer assistance, and launched special loans totaling $3 billion to support cooperation in COVID-19 response, digital economy and development, which will drive the region's economic and social development in the post-epidemic era. China has provided vaccines to 21 countries in the region and is the earliest and largest supplier of vaccines to several LAC countries. China has also conducted joint experiments, research and development, and production of COVID-19 vaccines, drugs and medical equipment together with Brazil, Mexico, Chile, and Peru.

At present, profound changes unseen in a century are accelerating, COVID-19 is still surging across the globe, and the world is entering a new period of turbulence and transformation. While change brings challenges, it also brings opportunities. President Xi has sized up the situation and proposed the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, pointing the way forward for safeguarding world peace and security and promoting sustainable development. China will work together with LAC countries, take the opportunity of the high-quality co-building of the Belt and Road and the implementation of the above-mentioned initiatives, advance China-LAC relations to score steady and sustained progress in the new era and join hands to build a China-LAC community with a shared future.

(The author is a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. The article is translated from Chinese to English by en.cppcc.gov.cn.)