(DING LIN)

The First Ministerial Meeting of the Forum of China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) opens in Beijing on January 8.

The two-day meeting set new goals for future cooperation between China and the Caribbean, including raising their trade volume to $500 billion in 10 years from $261.75 billion in 2013.

The creation of the forum was announced during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Latin America in July 2014. The 33-member CELAC groups all South American countries and some Caribbean countries in addition to Mexico.