The First Ministerial Meeting of the Forum of China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States was held in Beijing on Jan. 8 2015. The aim of the meeting is to promote the partnership between China and Latin America. The outcome of the meeting was eagerly anticipated.

Chinese president Xi Jinping visited Brazil and met with the leaders of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States six months ago. The decision was taken to strengthen relations by setting up the Forum of China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States.

Chinese president Xi Jinping spoke at the opening ceremony of the meeting. China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States will commit to paper a five-year cooperation plan including the Beijing Declaration and the Regulations on China-CELAC forum.

The world is going through change and reform, and facing opportunities and challenges. Peace and development remain the main trend. The forum built by between China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States will not only contribute to their economic development but also inject vitality to the world economy.

China’s economic growth is beneficial to the economic development of Latin America. In the coming decade China is targeting 500 billion U.S dollars of bilateral trade with Latin American and the Caribbean and 250 billion U.S. dollars of direct investment into the region. The partnership between China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States is taking shape.

This article was edited and translated from 《构想变为现实 中拉携手追梦》, source: People's Daily