Raquel Herrera, a Chilean MBA student at Chongqing University, exemplifies a growing wave of young professionals bridging China and Latin America. A recipient of a 2022 Chinese government scholarship, Herrera first honed her language skills at a Confucius Institute in Chile – institutions that have trained over 1.5 million students across 28 Latin American countries since 2004.
"Our generation sees China\u2019s development story as a blueprint for green industrialization," Herrera told KhabarAsia.com, referencing Chile\u2019s $2.7 billion lithium exports to China in 2023. "Through the China-CELAC Forum, we\u2019re creating tech transfer programs that respect environmental protections while boosting value-added exports."
The 33-member cooperation framework has facilitated $480 billion in cumulative trade since 2015. Recent initiatives focus on renewable energy partnerships, with Chile aiming to supply 40% of China\u2019s lithium for electric vehicle batteries by 2030.
Cultural exchange remains central to sustainability efforts. Over 120 Latin American students joined Herrera in July\u2019s "Green Silk Road Youth Summit" in Chengdu, developing cross-border carbon offset models using blockchain technology.
