BEIJING, Jan. 8-- The first ministerial meeting of the Forum of China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC)began in Beijing on Thursday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, Costa Rica President Luis Guillermo Solis, Ecuador President Rafael Correa Delgado, Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro Moros and Bahamas Prime Minister Perry Christie attended the opening ceremony of the two-day meeting at the Great Hall of the People in downtown Beijing.

Established in December 2011 in Caracas of Venezuela, CELAC groups 33 countries, including all South American countries and some Caribbean states plus Mexico.

During Xi's visit to Latin America in July 2014, he and CELAC leaders announced the establishment of the cooperation forum and agreed to hold the first ministerial meeting at an early date.