Interview: China-LatAm BRI cooperation enriches China-Chile ties: Chinese ambassador

SANTIAGO, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Chile's active participation in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will not only enrich China-Chile relations, but also make Chile an important pivot for BRI cooperation between China and Latin America, said Chinese Ambassador to Chile Niu Qingbao.

China-Latin America relations were also deepened under the initiative, and friendly cooperation across the Pacific Ocean has become wider, the Chinese diplomat said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

The Chilean government has actively promoted the integration and connectivity of Latin America with a pragmatic, open and diversified foreign policy, and is committed to building Chile into a gateway connecting Latin America with the Asia-Pacific region, he said.

The initiative proposed by China is highly in line with Chile's development model transformation and industrial upgrading, and will help Chile create development highlights such as clean energy and digital economy, he added.

"The global network of partnerships is a valuable asset of Belt and Road cooperation and a strong foundation for implementing the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind," he said.

Two-way trade between China and Latin America recorded 485.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2022, and China continues to be the second-largest trading partner and the third-largest source of investment in Latin America, according to the diplomat.

The special loans program for China-Latin America infrastructure construction, the preferential loans program and the China-Latin America cooperation funds program run well, he said.

More Latin American countries have joined the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the BRICS New Development Bank, and the financing between China and Latin America has become more diversified, he added.

Exchanges of political parties, media, think tanks and youths between China and Latin America have been deepened, and so have been people-to-people exchanges.

In the future, China and Latin America need to better meet each other's development needs, and enhance their complementarity, so as to jointly enhance economic competitiveness, he said.

China and Latin America should further align their infrastructure development plans and jointly build more transnational transportation infrastructure, digital infrastructure and economic corridors, Niu suggested.

They should also strengthen cooperation in green energy and green finance, and encourage enterprises to participate in Belt and Road cooperation, he added.

The two sides should also improve the trade and investment structure, enhance the international competitiveness of respective industries, jointly promote economic globalization and regional economic integration, he said.

The Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation has become an important platform for participants to deepen exchanges, enhance mutual trust and strengthen exchanges, he added.