Interview: Spirit of cooperation brings China, Latin America closer, academic says

Upon the invitation of President Alberto Fernandez of Argentina, rotating president of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a video address at the seventh Summit of CELAC. The summit was held in Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina, on Jan. 24, 2023. (Photo by Martin Zabala/Xinhua)

BUENOS AIRES, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- China and Latin American and Caribbean countries have been following the spirit of cooperation and mutual trust when dealing with their relations, and that "has allowed ties to deepen to the benefit of both sides," an Argentine academic has said.

In the face of multiple global challenges, cooperation and solidarity are crucial, said Gonzalo Tordini, director of the China-Argentine Strategic Program at the National Defense University in Buenos Aires.

"To that end, CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) and the China-CELAC Forum play an important role," he said in an interview with Xinhua.

Tordini made the comments on the sidelines of the CELAC seventh summit here on Tuesday, during which Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a video address, highlighting CELAC's significant role in regional security and development and reiterating China's will to enhance cooperation with countries in the region for a brighter future.

"China has been one of the main promoters of international cooperation in recent years, with an emphasis on multilateralism, win-win and mutual benefit," the academic said. "It has always had a very clear predisposition to work cooperatively with our region."

It is evident that China has made important contributions to the region through the South-South cooperation. For example, the country put forward the Belt and Road Initiative, pursuing common prosperity for developing countries, he noted.

In the view of Tordini, countries in the region attach high importance to their relationships with China, and ties between the two sides are growing even closer because of the greater trust among them.

"The link has a solid foundation and has been developed in an integral way, growing in many fields such as economy, finance, politics, culture, technology and education," Tordini added.