The Olympic delegation of Argentina parade into the National Stadium during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 4, 2022. (Xinhua/Xiong Qi)
BEIJING, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- China and Latin American countries will deepen partnership with Argentina's entry into the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), said experts.
-- New phase of development since 2022
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Mexico and between China and Argentina. Besides, a joint statement on deepening China-Ecuador comprehensive strategic partnership was released earlier this month. These impressive achievements herald that relations between China and Latin American countries will stride into a new phase of development since 2022.
Another achievement is Argentina's entry into the BRI, representing the 21st Latin American country to do so.
China and Argentina will deepen cooperation in the fields including trade, agriculture, energy and mining, infrastructure, investment and financing, as well as pandemic response.
In fact, China has always attached great importance to developing relations with Latin American countries, carrying out various cooperation in the fields of infrastructure construction and trade.
-- Further enhanced ties amid pandemic
China has played a major role in helping Latin American countries since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the virus swept through country after country in the region, China took action and donated thousands of masks, testing kits as well as dozens of ventilators to Latin American countries.
In August 2021, the Chilean government invited China's biopharmaceutical company Sinovac Life Sciences Co., Ltd. to conduct research and development (R&D) and production of the COVID-19 vaccine in the country. The Sinovac will invest in Chile to set up a vaccine R&D center and production plant to manufacture doses of vaccines for combating COVID-19 and other diseases. In this regard, China and Latin American countries have found new area of cooperation in the export and R&D of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Staff members unload Chinese COVID-19 vaccines at the Ezeiza International Airport, Buenos Aires, Argentina, April 1, 2021. (Photo by Martin Zabala/Xinhua)
"Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Latin American countries have supported each other, practicing the vision of a shared future. The vaccine cooperation between the two sides benefits both sides and beyond," said Wang Chao, president of the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs.
Chile has currently administered over 47 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, with 55 percent of them coming from China, according to Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). While in Ecuador, Sinovac's vaccine accounts for 52 percent in over 30 million doses administered by the country.
Chile's President Sebastian Pinera received the first dose of the CoronaVac vaccine developed by Sinovac in last Feburary, sending a message of confidence to the public regarding the application of Sinovac's CoronaVac vaccine.
"Chinese COVID-19 vaccines have performed very well in preventing deaths and severe cases, and reducing hospitalization rates," said Dimas Covas, president of Brazil's Butantan Institute.
-- Fruitful trade cooperation
The economic and trade cooperation between China and Latin American countries has served as an important force driving the economic growth of the region.
Data from China Customs showed that China's trade with Latin American countries in 2021 amounted to 451.59 billion U.S. dollars, up 41.1 percent year on year, among which imports and exports both reached record high, standing at 222.58 billion U.S. dollars and 229.01 billion U.S. dollars, respectively. China remained the second largest trading partner of the region.
Cherries, oranges and blueberries from Latin America are favored by Chinese consumers, while the "Made in China" electric vehicles, mobile phones and home appliances offer a better life for Latin American people.
Noting that trade between China and Latin America showed impressive growth amid the pandemic, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) hailed the great resilience and potential of trade cooperation between the two sides.
Wang Ping, professor of Nankai University, said that under the Belt and Road Initiative, there is still potential to tap in the economic and trade cooperation between the two sides.
"As the two sides have strong will to work together in more converging areas, the BRI will present both sides with larger stage and brighter future," said Wang.
(Edited by Li Shimeng with Xinhua Silk Road, lishimeng@xinhua.org)
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