A delegation from Minas Gerais State, Brazil, led by Governor Romeu Zema (fourth left), visits Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group in Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, on November 9, 2023 (COURTESY PHOTO)

Located on China's eastern coast, Jiangsu Province is one of China's most socially, technologically and economically developed provinces. Though it makes up just 1 percent of China's land area and is home to 6 percent of the population, Jiangsu contributes more than 10 percent of the country's total GDP.

For decades, this coastal powerhouse has reached out across seas and mountains to build meaningful ties with Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). In 2024, trade between the two sides reached $54.77 billion, accounting for 10.6 percent of China's total trade with the LAC region.

On May 13, the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the Forum of China and Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (China-CELAC Forum) was held in Beijing. Moreover, sub-national cooperation continues to thrive through growing sister-city partnerships and other exchanges. Jiangsu has actively participated in sub-national cooperation. It has hosted, together with research institutes, the Dialogue Between the Civilizations of China and the LAC for seven consecutive years.

"China-LAC cooperation attests to an ancient Chinese saying: Nothing, not even mountains or oceans, can separate those with a shared goal," said Sun Yi, Director General of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Jiangsu Provincial People's Government.

Sun said Jiangsu's economic cooperation with the LAC has entered a "fast track" built on three pillars: manufacturing and industrial chains, energy and mineral development, and agricultural trade and food processing.

In manufacturing, XCMG's production base in Minas Gerais produces cranes and excavators with annual output value exceeding $500 million. In 2024, Hengtong Group, another company from Jiangsu, completed a submarine power cable transmission project in Mexico, marking the debut of China's power cable system solution in the Mexican market. 

In the field of energy and mineral resources, Jiangsu's NARI Group has been active in the Brazilian market since 2013 through its branch there. Its advanced equipment and integrated solutions have improved power grid reliability and efficiency in Brazil. In 2014, Brazilian mining giant Vale's Tubarao Port signed an ore blending agreement with Lianyungang Port in north Jiangsu, establishing a long-term supply base for steel mills in the Yangtze River Delta in China.

In agricultural trade and food processing, Jiangsu Yanghe Distillery, based in Suqian, north Jiangsu, acquired a 12.5-percent stake in Chile's second largest wine producer, VSPT Wine Group, through a successful bid in 2018. Jiangsu Soho Holdings Group and Sweet-Scented Osmanthus Duck Group in provincial capital city Nanjing have long imported soybeans and beef from Brazil and Argentina, with annual trade exceeding $800 million. 

Jiangsu-LAC economic ties have also expanded into emerging sectors such as renewable energy and digital infrastructure. Bus manufacturer Higer from Suzhou is operating in several countries in the LAC including Peru, Ecuador and Costa Rica. This January, three photovoltaic power plants in Brazil, equipped with systems supplied by Trina Solar Co. Ltd. headquartered in Changzhou, Jiangsu, were connected to the grid. Together, they contribute a total installed capacity of 21 megawatts, injecting more clean energy into Brazil's power supply.

Dialogue between civilizations 

Over the past decade, cultural and people-to-people exchanges under the China-CELAC Forum have flourished, forming a dynamic and diverse landscape. Among the key platforms is the Dialogue Between the Civilizations of China and the LAC, which promotes mutual learning and deepens understanding.

Since 2017, the dialogue, co-hosted by the Foreign Affairs Office of the Jiangsu Provincial People's Government, the Institute of Latin American Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies affiliated with China International Communications Group, has been serving as a source of cultural strength for the building of a China-LAC community with a shared future.

"Over the past eight years, the event has grown from concept to practice. The cultural exchange mechanism we've built has been continuously enriched and expanded, helping achieve goals like consolidating friendships, forging consensus and shaping global governance," Sun said. "It has also amplified the voice of the Global South, making the dialogue one of the most important public communication platforms between China and the LAC."

The event blends a wide range of activities, including academic discussions, media exchanges, sister-city dialogues, trade matchmaking meetings, product showcases and cultural experience workshops. So far, it has hosted 19 side events, released 24 cooperation outcomes and attracted around 2,000 participants from the political, academic and business communities, as well as media across China and more than 20 LAC countries. Over time, it has built a regular platform for dialogue that continues to boost cooperation in trade, education, culture, youth engagement, think tanks and media.

"Jiangsu brings local flavor and practical experience to the dialogue," Sun noted. Through themed events such as business matchmaking, film and TV series screenings and culinary exchanges, the province has played an active role in promoting cooperation in trade, healthcare, science, and culture between the two sides. The province has also helped LAC partners better understand China's development philosophy, approaches and systems through vivid examples of Jiangsu's modernization endeavors.

This year, the Foreign Affairs Office of Jiangsu is taking the lead in organizing the dialogue's eighth edition.

"In response to the Global Civilizations Initiative put forward by President Xi, we aim to foster mutual trust and consensus through the dialogue, contributing to South-South cooperation and broader diplomatic interests. As 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the China-CELAC Forum's establishment, it's relevant to propose incorporating the Dialogue Between the Civilizations of China and the LAC into the China-CELAC Forum's formal mechanism."

Planned highlights for this year's edition include a Latin America and the Caribbean Day, with invited guests including former political leaders, diplomats, scholars, cultural figures, think tank experts, business leaders and youth representatives. 

"We hope to launch a global academic partnership network for civilizational dialogue, establish a China-LAC alliance of institutes of higher learning, and deepen cooperation through mutual learning and local partnerships," Sun added. "All of these will contribute to building a China-LAC community with a shared future."

(Printed Edition Title: Long-Distance Cooperation)

Copyedited by G.P. Wilson 

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