The Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC [Community of Latin American and Caribbean States] Forum, which was held in Beijing on May 13, 2025, saw Chinese President Xi Jinping joined by Colombian President and current CELAC president Gustavo Petro, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Chilean President Gabriel Boric, and President of the New Development Bank and former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff in addressing the opening ceremony.
In his speech, President Lula da Silva said: “Over the past decade, ties between Latin America and the Caribbean and China have grown stronger. China is now CELAC’s second-largest trading partner and one of the region’s most important sources of foreign direct investment. Funds from Chinese financial institutions surpass the loans offered by the World Bank or the Inter-American Development Bank. Partnership with China has become a dynamic force in the regional economy.”
He added: “Chinese demand was one of the driving forces behind the growth we experienced at the beginning of the century. We made significant advances in reducing poverty and inequality. It was during this time that we finally looked around us and united to create UNASUR [Union of South American Nations] and CELAC.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese vaccines and medical supplies helped us protect our populations. Only through greater coordination among ourselves can we fully harness the potential of Sino–Latin American and Caribbean cooperation.
“This is especially evident in infrastructure. Chinese support is decisive for moving forward with highways, railways, ports, and transmission lines. But the economic viability of these projects depends on our ability to coordinate as a region and give these initiatives regional scale.”
He noted that, “For centuries, resources extracted from Latin America and the Caribbean enriched other parts of the world. We now have a chance to do things differently”, and particularly emphasised: “Latin America, the Caribbean, and China can show the world that it is possible to fight climate change without sacrificing economic growth and social justice. COP30, to be held in Belém, in the state of Pará, at the heart of the Amazon, aspires to be a turning point in the implementation of climate commitments and in building trust in collective solutions.”
In concluding, he said that he wanted to, “issue a call to all comrades of Latin America: There is no way out for any country on its own. We have 500 years of history that prove this. Either we unite among ourselves and seek partners willing to build a shared world with us, or Latin America will remain a region synonymous with poverty in today’s world.”
In his address, Colombian President Gustavo Petro called for a rethinking of humanity’s path through a new international cooperation paradigm that transcends the nation-state model and embraces a “dialogue of civilisations” as a political, historical and anthropological foundation for the global future.
He noted that: “A dialogue among civilisations cannot be imposed. It is a guiding principle for the relationship between CELAC and China. It is a possibility that China wants, and we want as well.” Challenging the ‘Clash of Civilisations’ theory propounded by the late US political scientist Samuel Huntington, the Colombian president instead advocated for an integrative vision as promoted by China – one in which cultural differences are not sources of conflict, but of collective human development as a political subject.
“How could there be fruitful dialogue if we don’t talk about clean energy, for example? If we don’t talk about decarbonisation? If we don’t speak as equals about how to achieve, through support for decarbonisation in North America, the possibility of prosperity in the South, and therefore, the possibility of mutual cooperation?
“And that decarbonisation necessarily leads us to clean energies. And clean energies, given today’s technologies, are basically already there in potential – waiting for action for life in South America and in Africa, precisely along that horizontal axis [contained in the Belt and Road Initiative]… If that potential could become action, we could – with Africa and with South America – fundamentally help with economic decarbonisation.”
We reprint below the full text of President Lula’s speech, originally published in English by Weaponized Information, along with a report on that by President Petro, originally published by Telesur.
4th CELAC-China Forum: Opening Speech by Brazilian President Lula da Silva
H.E. Mr. Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China;
H.E. Comrade Gabriel Boric, President of the Republic of Chile, through whom I greet the entire Chilean delegation;
My dear Gustavo Petro, President of the Republic of Colombia, through whom I greet the entire Colombian delegation;
My dear comrade Dilma Rousseff, President of the New Development Bank, also known as the BRICS Bank;
My dear Mauro Vieira, Minister of Foreign Affairs, through whom I greet the entire Brazilian delegation;
My beloved comrade Janja;
Comrade ministers, ambassadors, parliamentarians present at this fourth CELAC-China summit:
I thank you for the invitation to participate in this meeting, which crowns the efforts of the Honduran presidency and marks an auspicious beginning for the Colombian presidency.
As many have recalled today, the CELAC-China Forum celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. Over the past decade, ties between Latin America and the Caribbean and China have grown stronger. China is now CELAC’s second-largest trading partner and one of the region’s most important sources of foreign direct investment. Funds from Chinese financial institutions surpass the loans offered by the World Bank or the Inter-American Development Bank. Partnership with China has become a dynamic force in the regional economy.
Chinese demand was one of the driving forces behind the growth we experienced at the beginning of the century. We made significant advances in reducing poverty and inequality. It was during this time that we finally looked around us and united to create UNASUR and CELAC.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese vaccines and medical supplies helped us protect our populations. Only through greater coordination among ourselves can we fully harness the potential of Sino–Latin American and Caribbean cooperation.
This is especially evident in infrastructure. Chinese support is decisive for moving forward with highways, railways, ports, and transmission lines. But the economic viability of these projects depends on our ability to coordinate as a region and give these initiatives regional scale.
The disarticulation of UNASUR—which we are now trying to reverse—left a huge gap in joint planning. We do not only need export corridors, but routes that are also vectors of development and integration. For centuries, resources extracted from Latin America and the Caribbean enriched other parts of the world. We now have a chance to do things differently.
The recent commodity cycle helped elevate our region’s position in the global economy. But times of crisis have shown that long-term prosperity requires balanced trade and diversified economies.
Distortions in international trade have always existed, especially in the exchange of agricultural goods, which has never been treated fairly within the WTO. The imposition of arbitrary tariffs only worsens this situation.
To build a shared future, we must reduce asymmetries between nations. The collaboration between CELAC and China must strengthen industrial capacity and innovation in our region.
The digital revolution must not become a new technological abyss between nations. The development of artificial intelligence should not be a privilege for the few. A just transition to a low-carbon economy also requires broad access to clean energy technologies.
Latin America, the Caribbean, and China can show the world that it is possible to fight climate change without sacrificing economic growth and social justice. COP30, to be held in Belém, in the state of Pará, at the heart of the Amazon, aspires to be a turning point in the implementation of climate commitments and in building trust in collective solutions.
The solution to the crisis of multilateralism is not to abandon it, but to improve it.
Latin America and the Caribbean can contribute by electing the first woman Secretary-General of the United Nations—thus honoring the legacy of the Beijing Conference on Women’s Rights.
Global governance no longer reflects the diversity of humanity. This anachronism has prevented the fulfillment of the UN Charter’s purpose to avoid the scourge of war.
Our region does not want to be a stage for hegemonic disputes. Over a decade ago, CELAC declared Latin America and the Caribbean a zone of peace. We do not want to replay history and stage a new Cold War.
Our vocation is to be one of the pillars of a multipolar order in which the Global South is duly represented. The CELAC-China Forum was the first mechanism for Latin America and the Caribbean to establish dialogue with a developing country. I hope we continue forging new paths with the same spirit of pioneering for the next ten years.
My friends, before I conclude, I want to issue a call to all comrades of Latin America:
The future of Latin America depends on our own conduct—on a fair analysis of what happened in the 20th century, where we advanced, and where we regressed—so we may finally understand this:
There is no way out for any country on its own.
We have 500 years of history that prove this. Either we unite among ourselves and seek partners willing to build a shared world with us, or Latin America will remain a region synonymous with poverty in today’s world.
We must understand this. It depends on no one else. It doesn’t depend on President Xi Jinping. It doesn’t depend on the United States. It doesn’t depend on the European Union. It depends solely and simply on whether we want to be great—or whether we choose to remain small.
Thank you.
Petro Calls for a Dialogue Among Civilisations at the CELAC-China Forum
On Tuesday, Colombian President Gustavo Petro called for a rethinking of humanity’s path through a new international cooperation paradigm that transcends the nation-state model and embraces a “dialogue of civilizations” as a political, historical and anthropological foundation for the global future.
“A dialogue among civilizations cannot be imposed. It is a guiding principle for the relationship between CELAC and China. It is a possibility that China wants, and we want as well,” Petro said during the opening ceremony of the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC Forum, held in Beijing, where Petro is attending as pro tempore president of Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).
“We are only waiting for other peoples of the world to wish for it and to understand that, before the fight against migrants — which is nothing more than the result of poverty in the Global South — and before ethnonationalism, which reminds us of the past, these are merely mirages and sequins. In the end, what unites and must unite all of humanity is the fight for life,” he added.
Petro challenged the “Clash of Civilizations” theory proposed by U.S. political scientist Samuel Huntington, instead advocating for an integrative vision promoted by China — one in which cultural differences are not sources of conflict, but of collective human development as a political subject.
The Colombian president expressed optimism that the CELAC-China meeting could confidently declare “that this gathering is on the right path — the path of dialogue among civilizations, of building humanity, and of the unconditional defense and promotion of life.”
“The dialogue among civilizations allows us to move toward a future beyond the classical idea from the 18th century — and a bit earlier — of relationships among nation-states. It is a concept that leads us, decisively, toward the possibility of a united humanity built on its own diversity. Why do we want a united humanity? Not only for peace. Peace is the fruit of a united humanity,” Petro said, noting that historically, relationships have been vertical.
“How could civilizations that are different — Latin, Caribbean, some Anglo-Saxon, others white, to use a more general term — engage in a meaningful dialogue? How could there be fruitful dialogue if we don’t talk about clean energy, for example? If we don’t talk about decarbonization? If we don’t speak as equals about how to achieve, through support for decarbonization in North America, the possibility of prosperity in the South, and therefore, the possibility of mutual cooperation? This has been proposed many times, but it hasn’t moved forward,” he added.
“Electric interconnection via power cables between Colombia and Panama hasn’t moved forward, and the great energy grid of the South — with its enormous potential, equivalent to 1,400 or 1,500 gigawatts — could fully decarbonize the U.S. energy matrix for the benefit of humanity and the life of the planet. But it hasn’t moved forward. It hasn’t moved forward because ideologies are increasingly darkening the heart, soul and mind. It hasn’t moved forward because the climate crisis is denied.”
“In a way, it is CELAC’s responsibility to invite a dialogue among civilizations — a horizontal, not vertical, dialogue that is free from authoritarianism and imperialism. Undoubtedly, in this dialogue among civilizations, a fundamental role would be played by Europe and Africa on one side, and China and Asia on the other,” the Colombian president stated.
Speaking about Latin America-China relations, Petro said that, “from the Chinese perspective of the Silk Road and the Belt, it is possible to cross horizontally, joining two oceans: the Pacific and the Atlantic. And by doing so, China and other nations can unite the European and African worlds with the Asian and Eastern worlds. Of course!
During his address, Petro reiterated the urgency of confronting the climate crisis, stating that a key path forward is decarbonization through clean energy.
“And that decarbonization necessarily leads us to clean energies. And clean energies, given today’s technologies, are basically already there in potential — waiting for action for life in South America and in Africa, precisely along that horizontal axis,” he said, emphasizing that to make that potential a reality, capital flows are needed.
“If that potential could become action, we could — with Africa and with South America — fundamentally help with economic decarbonization. That would mean investments of our own,” he said, arguing that this would create “another idea of a dialogue among civilizations, because it would provide mutual enrichment, human cooperation, and the construction of a political subject: humanity.”
He noted that fiber-optic cables run along the ocean floor, and proposed that “if we want something concrete between CELAC and China, fiber-optic cables should run from Asia to Latin America and vice versa, along the Pacific coast of Latin America and the Americas in general, and from Asia too.” This would help “connect civilizations, because fiber optics carry content which, in the age of artificial intelligence, is none other than human knowledge.”
“Connecting Latin America with China on one hand, and Latin America with Europe and Africa on the other, can horizontally — and not just vertically — facilitate the flow of knowledge,” he said.
On Tuesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Lula da Silva, and Chilean President Gabriel Boric also attended the opening ceremony of the CELAC-China forum.
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