Beijing Understanding of
the China-Latin America and Caribbean Think-Tank Forum
The
Second
China-Latin
American
and
Caribbean
Think-Tank Forum was held in Beijing, the People's Republic of
China, on 22-23 July 2013. The theme of this Forum is New
Opportunities, New Challenges and New Thinking - Relations
between China and Latin American and Caribbean Countries in
the New Situation. Participants had heated, candid and in-depth
discussions and exchange of views under the agenda items of
"new issues and new thinking for the business and investment
cooperation between China and Latin American and Caribbean
countries", "the current status and future prospects for cultural
and people-to-people exchanges between China and Latin
America and the Caribbean" and "how to promote and advance
a holistic and integrated cooperation between China and Latin
America and the Caribbean and deepen the comprehensive
cooperation partnership between China and Latin America and
the Caribbean", and have reached the following consensus:
First, China is the largest developing country and an
emerging market in the world while Latin America and the
Caribbean are a region with the highest concentration of
developing countries and emerging economies. China and Latin
American and Caribbean countries cherish the same aspirations
for maintaining peace, promoting development and enhancing
cooperation, and are all faced with similar challenges and
opportunities.
Second, recent years have registered remarkable progress
in the friendship and cooperation between China and Latin
American
and
Caribbean
countries,
representing
a
comprehensive, wide-ranging, fast-growing and multilayer
relationship of friendship and cooperation between China on the
one hand and Latin American and Caribbean countries on the
other. To trust each other politically, support each other
strategically, accelerate economic integration economically and
deepen exchanges and mutual learning culturally have become a
general trend in the development of the bilateral relations. This
cooperation model has brought tangible benefits to both sides
and has assumed greater significance, regionally and globally.
Surely it will continue to develop fast on the basis of mutual
benefit and win-win results.
Third, the Forum participants believed that China-Latin
America and the Caribbean cooperation should serve as a model
for cooperation among developing countries. Looking back, the
most valuable lessons we have learned from the fast-growing
China-Latin American and the Caribbean cooperation are
mutual respect, equality, mutual understanding and mutual
accommodation with the pursuit of mutual benefit and win-win
results at the core of all these. All these have worked and served
as the pillar and soul underpinning the sustained China-Latin
American and Caribbean cooperation, which should be treasured
and carried forward.
Fourth, China-Latin American and Caribbean relations
have developed to a new stage, a stage that presents both new
opportunities and challenges:
-- The profound changes in the world situation and in the
structure of international relations, and the on-going reforms in
the international political, economic and security systems have
given
developing
countries
and
emerging
economies
opportunities to have a louder voice, participate in the making of
international rules and enhance their international influence.
-- Improved macro economic structure and greater potential
that has been released through economic growth have put China
and Latin American and Caribbean countries in a relatively
advantageous position in the post-financial crisis and their
development potential has increasingly caught international
attention.
-- The continued political stability, sustained economic
growth and social progress in China and Latin American and
Caribbean countries have offered favorable conditions and
environment for developing their cooperation to a higher level.
-- The Asia-Pacific region has an increasingly prominent
status in the international structure. China is a big country in the
Asia Pacific. More and more Latin American and Caribbean
countries have increasingly "looked to the Asia Pacific". Hence,
cooperation in Asian-Pacific affairs has gradually become a new
platform and a new bondage for China-Latin America and
Caribbean cooperation.
At the same time, participants have taken note of the
following:
-- Against the complex and volatile international situation,
China and Latin American and Caribbean countries are faced
with many challenges in and under great pressure for
transforming the economic growth mode, achieving sustainable
economic development and obtaining a louder voice in the
world.
-- There have been differences and problems between
China and Latin American and Caribbean countries, due to the
differences in their national conditions, development theories,
ways of doing things and pursuit of national interests, though at
the similar development stages and levels.
-- With the changing international market and their
economic development, it is imperative for China and Latin
American and Caribbean countries to transform and upgrade
their cooperation model.
-- With different national conditions, all countries are faced
with their own special problems, and economically weak
countries,
in
particular,
are
encountering
more
severe
challenges.
Fifth, in view of the above-mentioned opportunities and
challenges, the governments of China and Latin American and
Caribbean countries should play a leading role, have the
long-term interests in mind while being rational and realistic,
giving considerations to both the national interests of their own
and those of their partners, take practical and effective measures
for mutual benefit and win-win results, seek solutions through
consultation on an equal footing and work together for a steady
and sustained development of China-Latin America and
Caribbean relations. To this end, it is important to take
advantage of the existing multilayer and multiform bilateral and
multilateral inter-governmental coordination mechanisms, and
optimize the set-up and functions of these mechanisms in light
of the development needs and the features of the times.
Sixth, with the expansion and in-depth development of
China-Latin American and Caribbean cooperation, it is
increasingly important and imperative to establish a holistic and
integrated cooperation platform. The accelerated integration of
Latin America and the Caribbean in recent years, and the
establishment of the Community of Latin American and
Caribbean States in particular, has created necessary conditions
for the establishment of the proposed platform. Participants have
agreed that to establish a cooperation platform at an earlier date
and advance a holistic and integrated China-Latin America and
Caribbean cooperation conform to the common interests of both
sides. The China-Latin America and Caribbean Cooperation
Forum has offered a bigger and higher platform for practical
cooperation between the two sides, which would give full play
to the all-round and integrated advantages of both sides,
forcefully promote the development of the comprehensive
cooperation partnership between China and Latin America and
Caribbean countries for common development on the basis of
mutual benefit and equality, and bring greater benefits to the
people in China and Latin American and Caribbean countries.
The participants have also believed that it is of vital
importance for Latin American and Caribbean countries to
extensively participate in China-Latin America and Caribbean
cooperation, an inter-governmental cooperation platform. The
Forum may cover a wide range of areas, such as the political,
business, resources and energy, infrastructure, cultural, scientific
and technological, think-tanks, youth and non-governmental
areas. It may discuss issues of mutual interest, such as
development models, urbanization and ecological conservation.
It reflects the depth and scope of the comprehensive China-Latin
America and Caribbean relations.
The Forum participants have appealed to the session that
China and Latin American and Caribbean countries should reach
agreement on the establishment of China-Latin America and
Caribbean cooperation forum at an earlier date and should call
the first cooperation forum meeting at the ministerial level at an
appropriate time. It has been proposed that a China-Latin
America and Caribbean summit should be held in due time,
which could play an important guiding role in accelerating the
establishment of the cooperation forum and deepening the
relations between China and Latin American and Caribbean
countries.
The Forum participants have fully recognized the
important role of the sub-regional organization of Latin America
and the Caribbean in facilitating the regional development and
in securing growth through unity. They have agreed that to
develop relations between China and the sub-regional
organization is of positive significance to the development of the
holistic
and
comprehensive
China-Latin
American
and
Caribbean cooperation and it does not run counter to the efforts
to establish the China-Latin America and Caribbean cooperation
at all.
Seventh, entrepreneurs and investors, a vital force in the
China-Latin America and Caribbean cooperation, have for years
made important contribution to the sustained development of the
relations between China and Latin American and Caribbean
countries. They are faced with both better and more business
opportunities and fiercer competition and harsher challenges in
the new era. All the participants have paid high tribute to the
business people and wish them greater successes in the future.
The participants have proposed to all governments that business
people should be given a stable and better investment
environment, in particular, more facilities in such areas as
national treatment, tax, visa and residence.
Eighth, the key to sound relations between states lies in
amity between their people. Cultural and people-to-people
exchanges are an important channel for enhancing mutual
understanding, consolidating the foundation of the cooperation
between China and Latin America and Caribbean cooperation
and deepening the mutual learning between China and Latin
American and Caribbean countries. Governments, all kinds of
popular associations and non-governmental organizations should
vigorously promote exchanges and cooperation between China
and Latin American and Caribbean countries in culture,
education, sports, are and a wide range of other areas. In
addition, they should focus on exchanges in the following areas:
-- Youth represents the future of the world. They are also the
custodians of the China-Latin America and Caribbean friendship
and cooperation from generation to generation. All governments
and non-governmental organizations should give top priority to
enhancing mutual understanding and amity among the youth of
China and Latin American and Caribbean countries and ensuring
successors carry on the friendship and cooperation. The
inter-governmental cooperation agreements and/or exchange
programmes should include such items as increasing the number
of scholarships, exchange of youth delegations and facilitating
exchanges between young officials, scholars, business people
and artists, among others.
-- Party-to-party exchanges and contacts are an important
component of the cultural and people-to-people exchanges
between China and Latin American and Caribbean countries.
Political parties in China and Latin American and Caribbean
countries should increase exchanges and enhance mutual trust,
beyond ideology and political propositions, for the common
goal of promoting peace, development and cooperation.
-- Women "hold half of the sky" of the human society. They
are faced with general problems in social and economic
development, and they also have problems and aspirations
peculiar to them. Increased exchanges and communications
among women in China and Latin American and Caribbean
countries are indispensable to cultural and people-to-people
exchanges between the two sides. It has been proposed that
women politicians, business women, women artists and women
organizations in China and Latin American and Caribbean
countries should increase contacts and mutual visits so as to
enhance their mutual understanding and friendship.
-- The news media serves as a bridge for social
dissemination and mutual understanding. All the media
organizations in China and Latin American and Caribbean
countries should observe the professional code of conduct of
objectivity, impartiality and inclusiveness and continue to make
contribution to better mutual understanding and deeper
friendship among the people in China and Latin America and the
Caribbean and to deepened friendly cooperation between these
countries. It has been further proposed that the exchanges
between China and Latin American and Caribbean media
organizations should be part of the holistic and integrated
China-Latin America and Caribbean cooperation.
Ninth, think-tanks have an irreplaceable role to play in the
sustained and stable development of China-Latin America and
Caribbean relations.
Exchanges and cooperation between
think-tanks of China and Latin American and Caribbean
countries should be part of the holistic and integrated
China-Latin America and Caribbean cooperation. Before the
China-Latin America and Caribbean cooperation forum is
officially
launched,
think-tanks
should
enhance
their
cooperation, increase exchange of visits and offer advices and
suggestions for a constructive development of China-Latin
America and Caribbean relations. Participants have offered
further suggestions:
-- To establish a regular or irregular exchange mechanism
between think-tanks of China and Latin American and
Caribbean countries. What is most pressing now is to
institutionalize the China-Latin America and Caribbean
think-tanks
forum.
All
those
think-tanks
and
their
representatives that have participated in this session could be the
basic members of the proposed forum.
-- To enhance multilateral and bilateral contacts, including
exchange of visits and invitations to various academic activities,
the expenses of which should be solved through consultation
among the relevant parties.
-- To exchange publications, conduct Internet cooperation
and share information.
-- Think-tanks should closely follow the developments in
the relations between China and Latin American and Caribbean
countries, observe and study all possible problems and obstacles,
and offer proposals to their own governments and other relevant
parties in a timely fashion.
-- China's development has drawn increasingly more
attention from Latin American and Caribbean countries, whose
development experience has also offered something for China to
learn and draw upon. It is therefore highly necessary for the two
sides to increase exchanges on ideas about state governance,
development models and dialogue among civilizations, which
should be regular topics for exchanges and cooperation between
think-tanks in China and Latin American and Caribbean
countries.
All participants have spoken highly of what the Forum
has achieved and expressed appreciation and thanks to the China
Foundation for International Studies and the Chinese People's
Institute of Foreign Affairs, the organizers of the Forum, for
their outstanding organizational work and warm reception.
此次论坛参加者分别来自下列国家和地区组织：
阿根廷、巴巴多斯、玻利维亚、巴西、智利、哥伦比亚、
哥斯达黎加、古巴、多米尼加共和国、厄瓜多尔、圭亚那、
海地、牙买加、墨西哥、秘鲁、特立尼达和多巴哥、乌拉圭、
中国、以及联合国拉美经济委员会（CEPAL）、拉美开发银
行（CAF）和拉美一体化协会（ALADI）
。
注：以上中文部分是论坛参加国要求加上的，发表时请
译成英文加在最后。