China and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) are set to jointly advance the building of a community with a shared future in a deeper and more substantive manner, a senior Chinese diplomat has said.

Qiu Xiaoqi, special representative of the Chinese government on Latin American affairs, made the remarks ahead of the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum, which will be held in Beijing on Tuesday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will address the opening ceremony and unveil new initiatives and measures to further strengthen ties. The two sides are expected to make progress in a wide range of areas, including sci-tech innovation, trade and investment, and artificial intelligence (AI).

As this year marks the 10th anniversary of the official launch of the forum, both sides will revisit their original aspiration, consolidate consensus, and chart the path forward together, ushering in a new chapter in comprehensive China-LAC cooperation, Qiu told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.

Qiu recalled that in July 2014, Xi and leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean announced the establishment of the China-CELAC Forum. In January 2015, the forum held its inaugural ministerial meeting in Beijing, turning the vision of overall cooperation into reality.

Xi attended the opening ceremony, where he offered guidance and helped lay a solid foundation for the forum's smooth launch and long-term development.

Xi sent a congratulatory letter to the forum's second ministerial meeting in 2018, guiding both sides to reach a political consensus on Belt and Road cooperation. In 2021, he addressed the third ministerial meeting via video link, charting the course for high-quality development of China-LAC relations in the new era, Qiu said.

With the personal commitment and leadership of Xi and the joint efforts from both sides, the China-CELAC Forum has become increasingly mature, said Qiu.

It has established a comprehensive, multi-tiered and wide-ranging cooperation network, becoming a vital platform for enhancing political trust, aligning development strategies, and promoting people-to-people connections.

The forum has also played an important role in advancing the building of a community with a shared future for China and Latin America and the Caribbean and in amplifying the voice of Global South countries, he added.

The forum features a constellation of institutional mechanisms, such as ministerial meetings, dialogues between the foreign ministers of China and the CELAC Quartet, the national coordinators' meetings, and a growing number of specialized sub-forums ranging from political parties to entrepreneurs.

"The China-CELAC Forum has become a key platform for forging political consensus, introducing initiatives, formulating action plans, and assessing results. It has played a positive and active role in driving China-LAC cooperation across various fields," Qiu said.

Over the past decade, the forum has seen China-LAC relations make significant strides, Qiu said, elaborating on the five features that now characterize the partnership.

Firstly, bilateral relations have been elevated. Panama, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Honduras have established or resumed diplomatic relations with China, and of the 26 countries in the region with diplomatic ties with China, 16 have established different forms of partnerships with China.

Secondly, mutual interests have yielded new results. Over 20 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have joined the Belt and Road cooperation framework. China is now the region's second-largest trading partner and the top trading partner for several regional countries, with free trade agreements signed with five countries.

Trade volume between China and the region reached 518.4 billion U.S. dollars last year, more than double the volume of a decade ago, said Qiu.

Thirdly, people-to-people connections have reached new heights. Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have widely endorsed the Global Civilization Initiative. The forum on dialogue between the civilizations of China and the region has been held seven times, a sign of closer cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

Fourth, their collaboration on the international stage has made further progress. Upholding mutual respect and accommodating each other's core interests and major concerns, the two sides have maintained close communication through platforms such as the United Nations and APEC, working together to advance global governance reform and protect the common interests of developing countries.

Fifth, a new framework for overall cooperation has taken shape. With enhanced mechanisms, the China-CELAC Forum has become the primary platform for engagement between the two sides.

Achieving higher-quality development of their relations has become a shared aspiration of both China and Latin America and the Caribbean, Qiu said.

China will leverage the China-CELAC Forum and promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. The priorities will be on enhanced connectivity, trade and investment facilitation, industrial capacity cooperation, collaboration in aerospace and artificial intelligence, and exchanges on governance, according to Qiu.

Qiu stressed that China and Latin America and the Caribbean represent some of the most dynamic and promising countries and regions globally and are vital parts of the Global South.

Their strengthened solidarity and cooperation will not only help build a vast trans-Pacific market and support each other in countering unilateralism and protectionism, but also inject lasting momentum into their respective development and contribute to global peace and development, he said.

By jointly hosting the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC Forum, China and Latin America and the Caribbean will send a message of solidarity and cooperation, promote bilateral ties, inject certainty into an uncertain world, and contribute to human development, said Qiu.