Always Near, Even When Far

In 2024, China celebrates the 10th anniversary of President Xi Jinping’s proposal to build a China-Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) community with a shared future. This concept, first introduced by Xi at the China-LAC Countries Leaders’ Meeting in Brazil on July 17, 2014, has since become a new framework for bilateral cooperation.

Over the past decade, collaborative efforts on both sides have driven continuous common progress, ushering in a new era of China-LAC relationship defined by equality, mutual benefit, innovation, openness and more benefits for the people.

“True friends always feel close, no matter the distance.” On July 14, 2014, Xi first quoted this line during a joint interview with major media outlets from Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela and Cuba. He referenced it again on November 21, 2016, while addressing the Peruvian Congress.

The quote, originating from a farewell poem by Tang Dynasty (618-907) poet Zhang Jiuling, expresses that mutual understanding can connect people, even across thousands of kilometers. This sentiment perfectly encapsulates the relationship between China and LAC countries, a bond built on mutual trust, support, shared benefits, and cultural exchange.

A testament to this trend is Oswaldo Mamani, a Peruvian artisan who once ran a small shop in the picturesque city of Arequipa, selling handmade alpaca wool crafts. Before 2016, his annual sales were modest, reaching about 100 pieces. However, when he received an order for 1,000 alpaca wool plush toys from a Chinese client, he saw firsthand the vast potential of the Chinese market.

In November 2018, Mamani’s alpaca plush toys, branded as Warmpaca, made their debut at the First China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai. Over the years, Warmpaca expanded from a small 9-square-meter booth tucked away in a corner to a central 36-square-meter display at the Sixth CIIE in November 2023.

With a 20-fold increase in annual sales since 2018, the business now supports a broad community of Peruvian artisans, benefiting over 300 people across some 100 families.

Brazilian Evandro Menezes de Carvalho, a professor of International Law at FGV Law School in Rio de Janeiro, capital of Brazil, has also worked to strengthen ties between China and LAC countries. His first visit to China in February 2013 inspired a deep commitment to China studies, with a special focus on China-Brazil cooperation.

In 2015, he collaborated with China International Communications Group as executive editor of China Hoje, a quarterly digital magazine in Portuguese, to launch its presence in Brazil. Two years later, he founded the Center for Brazil-China Studies at FGV Law School, dedicated to academic research on the Belt and Road Initiative, a China-proposed initiative to boost connectivity along and beyond ancient Silk Road routes, among other subjects.

These are just a few examples of the flourishing cooperation between China and LAC countries across different sectors over the past decade.

In recent years, several major initiatives proposed by China, including the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilizations Initiative, have gained widespread support and participation from LAC countries.

China has long been LAC’s second largest trading partner, while the region has become the second largest recipient of Chinese outbound investment. To date, China has signed memorandums of understanding for Belt and Road cooperation with 22 LAC countries and established free trade agreements with Peru, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Nicaragua.

Beyond trade, cultural activities—such as the China-LAC Cultural Exchange Year and the Dialogue Between the Civilizations of China and the LAC—continue to deepen mutual understanding and foster people-to-people connections.

On the journey toward building a China-LAC community with a shared future, these connections are bound to grow even stronger. Over the next decade, China and LAC countries will continue to make great strides in bringing prosperity to their people and working toward a shared future for all of humanity.