Despite the geographic distance between China and the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region, relations between the two sides date back centuries. As early as the 16th century, Nao de China, or Ships of China, shuttled across the Pacific, marking the dawn of their interaction and exchange. From the 1960s onward, as China established diplomatic ties with multiple LAC countries, exchange and cooperation intensified.

"China and LAC countries are advancing hand in hand as a community with a shared future. This community of ours is founded upon equality, powered by mutual benefit and win-win, invigorated by openness and inclusiveness, and dedicated to the people's wellbeing," Chinese President Xi Jinping said at the opening ceremony of the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum on May 13. "It exhibits enduring vitality and holds immense promise," he added.

On September 12, the annual Dialogue Between the Civilizations of China and the LAC, established as part of efforts to promote increased exchange between both sides, took place in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province in east China.

More than 150 participants—including diplomats from nearly 20 countries and representatives from international organizations, research institutes, media outlets and business circles—discussed a wide range of topics including people-to-people exchange, as well as China-LAC cooperation in business and green development.

Deepening ties

The event was co-hosted by the Jiangsu Provincial People's Government Foreign Affairs Office, the Institute of Latin American Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), and the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies (ACCWS), a subsidiary of China International Communications Group (CICG).

The dialogue has been included in the action plan of the Global Civilizations Dialogue Ministerial Conference, and its eighth edition this year, themed Promoting Development Toward a Shared Future Through Mutual Learning Between Civilizations, was an important platform for implementing the outcomes of the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC Forum.

CICG Vice President Xie Gang said at the opening ceremony that cultural exchange between China and the LAC region has a long history. He called for win-win cooperation, more dialogue on green development and stronger cultural ties.

He further noted that Chinese modernization brings numerous opportunities for China-LAC relations amid a slowing global economic recovery and a widening North-South development gap.

Since the inaugural ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC Forum in 2015, China's ties with LAC countries have made further strides and the country has established or resumed diplomatic relations with several nations, including Panama, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras. On the economic front, more than 20 LAC countries have joined the Belt and Road Initiative, a China-proposed initiative to increase connectivity along and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes, boosting cooperation in trade, infrastructure and investment. This growing partnership has translated into tangible outcomes: In 2024, China-LAC trade reached a record $518 billion, more than double the $257 billion registered in 2013.

"China and LAC countries are both members of the Global South and share a people-centered vision, committed to promoting development while improving people's livelihoods. It is precisely this deep civilizational affinity that has enabled China and LAC countries to overcome geographical distance and come together," Tang Lingyun, Deputy Director General of the Chinese Foreign Ministry's Department of LAC Affairs, addressed the gathering.

Ambassador of Guyana to China Anyin Choo described world civilization as a "mosaic" enriched by both LAC and Chinese traditions. She highlighted cooperation between Guyana and Jiangsu in public health as a model of meaningful exchange, and encouraged all sides to listen, share and collaborate in building a more peaceful and prosperous world.

Jiangsu maintains meaningful ties with LAC countries, Fang Wei, Vice Governor of Jiangsu, said at the opening ceremony, adding that the province will work to make the dialogue a stronger platform for engagement and partnership between the two sides.

The opening ceremony saw the official launch of the China Jiangsu-Latin America University Consortium and the 2025 LAC Day. Also released was a book titled China-Latin America Green Development Cooperation: Opportunities and Challenges, jointly produced by Beijing-based Blossom Press, the CASS Institute of Latin American Studies and the ACCWS. The publication is a collection of research papers and case studies by Chinese and LAC scholars on collaboration between both sides in sustainable development and clean energy.

Cultural exchange takes center stage

At the dialogue's sub-forums, participants held in-depth discussions on the roles of cultural exchange and innovation in building bridges for civilizational exchange and how to leverage ecological civilization and sustainable development to promote a climate-resilient future together.

Speakers from both sides emphasized that the future of the relationship lies not only in trade or diplomacy, but in cultural exchange and mutual understanding.

"People-to-people exchange is not a one-way output, but a two-way process of mutual learning," Wang Ning, Deputy Secretary of the Communist Party of China Committee of the CICG Center for the Americas, said.

Wang highlighted innovative approaches to cultural exchange, such as using virtual reality to allow people in LAC countries to experience China's Dunhuang murals, reconstructing Peru's Inca ruins online through 3D scanning, and facilitating collaboration between Chinese and LAC youth to create short videos that blend folk music, street dance and local cuisine.

"By harnessing digital platforms and new technologies, these cultural exchange programs transcend both language and generational divides, creating real connection between China and the LAC's Gen Z," he said.

Claudia Marcela Clavijo Pinzón, Chair of the National Gender Equality Commission of Colombia's Green Alliance Party, also stressed that real connection goes beyond mere statistics.

She urged both sides to think deeply about the meaning of the engagement between two great civilizations. "The answer doesn't just lie only in economic figures, but also in the human bonds we can build," she said. For her, the bridges between peoples are formed from culture, education, art and solidarity. "We should put human values above instant interests," she added.

"From the beginning, what has guided us is respect and empathy—not the imposition of views, but mutual learning," José Adán Castelar Lopez, Executive Editor in Chief of Honduran newspaper Poder Popular, said, referring to the establishment of diplomatic relations between Honduras and China in 2023. He described current ties as "a smooth and an open road toward lasting friendship."

"The essence of people-to-people exchange lies in listening to each other's stories, caring about people, families and traditions. Before we assume any roles or titles, we are first and foremost individuals who long to be understood and are willing to understand others," he said.

Across the panel, a common theme emerged: Culture and innovation are not sidenotes but the driving force of China-Latin America relations. As Wang put it, "When civilizations interact, they find common ground while embracing differences."

(Print Edition Title: Centuries in the Making)

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon

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