Taipei, Taiwan – China is moving to strengthen their alliances with other countries as a counterweight for the commercial war of President Donald Trump, presenting a united front with Latin American leaders at an event on Tuesday in Beijing.
China’s leaders have positioned the second largest economy in the world as a reliable commercial partner and development, in contrast to the uncertainty and instability of Trump’s tariff increases and other policies.
On Monday, Beijing and Washington announced a progress in rates After weekend conversations in Geneva, Switzerland, where they agreed to reduce high tariffs on both sides for 90 days to allow negotiations.
Having moved to calm antagonisms with the United States, Chinese president, Xi Jinping, said that China is ready to “join Latin countries” against underground currents of pure political and block confrontation and the wave of unilateralism and protectionism. “
“There are no winners in the wars or commercial wars,” Xi said, reiterating a phrase that China has repeatedly used when referring to Trump’s policies.
He was talking to the China-Celac forum, or community of Latin America and the Caribbean, which began in 2015. The presidents of Brazil, Chile and Colombia were among Latin American and Caribbean officials who attended.
XI announced five programs, focused on political exchanges, economic development, cultural and academic exchanges and global security to build narrower links between China and Latin American nations.
He promised to boost imports from the region and encourage Chinese companies to increase their investments there. Announced a new credit line of 66 billion yuan ($ 9.2 billion) to support Latin American and Caribbean financing.
China also plans to expand cooperation in clean energy, 5G Telecommunications, digital economy, artificial intelligence and global security.
China’s trade with the region has been growing rapidly, exceeding $ 500 billion for the first time last year. Much of that growth comes from an increase in Chinese imports of agricultural products, including soybeans and beef, and energy imports such as crude oil, iron mineral and critical minerals.
Beijing’s investments in the region through the Belt and Road initiative of XI, or Bri, have included the installation of 5G networks and construction ports and hydroelectric plants.
The Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, announced on Monday that his country would formally join the Bri, in a vote of trust after several Chinese projects in Latin America hit the inconveniences in recent months.
In February, Panama became the first Latin American country to renounce the initiative under pressure from the United States and, earlier this month, the Chinese manufacturer of BYD electric vehicles and the stainless steel producer Tsingshan announced that they were abandoning plans to build lithium cathode plants in Chile due to the fall in lithium prices.
In other promises, Beijing plans to invite 300 members of Latin American political parties to China annually over the next three years and facilitate 3,500 government scholarships and several other types of exchanges.
Five Latin American countries will receive visa exemptions to travel to China, with more to follow, XI said. It was not clear immediately which countries would be exempt from visa.
