Overview
- Chinese President Xi Jinping opened the China-CELAC Forum in Beijing, announcing a 66 billion yuan ($9.2 billion) credit line for Latin American and Caribbean countries.
- Xi unveiled five cooperation programs focusing on trade, infrastructure, cultural exchange, and political coordination over the next three years.
- Colombian President Gustavo Petro confirmed plans to sign a letter of intent to join China’s Belt and Road Initiative, with two-thirds of Latin American countries already participating.
- Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva aims to expand agricultural exports to China, leveraging US tariffs that have disrupted American trade with Beijing.
- The summit highlights China’s strategy to counter US influence in the region, emphasizing multilateralism and opposing unilateral trade measures.