From lithium-rich deserts to bustling megaports, China and Latin America are redefining their economic partnership through green innovation, digital transformation, and cultural exchange. The recent Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC Forum in Beijing marked a decade of collaboration, producing landmark agreements like the 2025-2027 Joint Action Plan with over 100 projects spanning clean energy, agriculture, and education.
Key initiatives include a 66 billion yuan ($9.23 billion) credit line for regional development and visa-free travel for citizens of five Latin American nations starting June 2025. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva joined Chinese President Xi Jinping in endorsing this shift from transactional trade to long-term strategic cooperation.
On the ground, projects like BYD's electric vehicle plant in Bahia and Peru's Chancay Megaport – expected to cut Asia-Latin America shipping times by 12 days – demonstrate tangible progress. Huawei and Alibaba Cloud are accelerating digital infrastructure development, while local-currency settlements strengthen financial stability.
Peruvian Foreign Minister Elmer Schialer Salcedo emphasized the transformative potential of these partnerships during recent discussions: "We're not just moving goods, but building gateways to modernization." With 3,500 scholarships and 300 political-party exchanges planned, the collaboration is cultivating new generations of cross-Pacific leaders.
This evolving relationship reflects a shared vision: sustainable growth through technological cooperation and people-centered development. As Latin American nations diversify their economies and China expands its Global South partnerships, their collaboration offers a blueprint for South-South cooperation in the green transition era.
