Chinese FM hails China-LAC cooperation

BEIJING, March 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi Monday hailed the cooperation between China and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region.

LAC is a region of promise and vitality and is not the backyard of anyone, Wang said at a press conference. "What the people in this region need is fairness, justice and mutually beneficial cooperation, not power politics, hegemony or bullying."

China and LAC countries are all members of the developing world, with shared aspiration for independence, development and vitalization, he said.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, China has engaged in active cooperation with LAC countries, providing nearly 400 million doses of vaccines and nearly 40 million units of anti-pandemic supplies to the region, he said.

Last year, trade between the two sides surpassed 400 billion U.S. dollars for the first time, Wang said.

"China will continue to deepen friendship, expand cooperation and work together with LAC friends for a China-LAC community with a shared future," Wang said.