CHINESE FM CALLS FOR UPGRADED VERSION OF CHINA-CELAC COOPERATION

New York, September 29, 2015.- Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi put forward a four-point proposal for an upgraded version of the all-round cooperation between China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).

Wang made the suggestions in his meetings with his counterparts from the CELAC "Quartet."

The Quartet comprises the current rotating chair of the CELAC, its previous rotating chair and its next rotating chair -Ecuador, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic, respectively- as well as Barbados, current rotating chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

Thanks to concerted efforts from both sides, cooperation between China and Latin American and Caribbean states has maintained a good momentum of growth under the framework of the China-CELAC Forum, Wang said.

New progress has been made in implementing the outcomes of the first ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC Forum, Wang said, adding that China is willing to work together with the Latin American and Caribbean nations to continue deepening their partnership of comprehensive cooperation.

Wang put forward a four-point proposal for the building of an upgraded version of the China-CELAC comprehensive cooperation.

"First, we should strengthen political dialogue and cooperation in international affairs," the foreign minister said, calling on the two sides to maintain high-level exchanges and give full play to the existing dialogue mechanisms between China and CELAC.

Second, the two sides should work together to ensure the successful holding of sub-forums under the framework of the China-CELAC Forum, as well as the full implementation of the consensus having been reached at previous forums on infrastructure, technology, youth and people-to-people friendship, Wang said.

Third, efforts should also be made to accelerate work for implementing the financing package China has offered to CELAC countries, the foreign minister said, calling for a good use of the special loans, cooperation funds as well as loans on favorable terms under the principles of flexibility, pragmatism and balance.

Fourth, Wang called for enhanced people-to-people exchanges between the two sides.

Under the framework of the China-CELAC Forum, the two sides should expand cooperation and exchanges in such areas as technology, culture, tourism and staff training, Wang said.

The Quartet foreign ministers, for their part, said that the relationship between China and CELAC has been making great progress in recent years, and the establishment of the China-CELAC Forum has helped lift bilateral relations to a higher level.

They said Latin American and Caribbean states regarded China as an important cooperation partner in the global political and economic arena, and were looking forward to forging a strong partnership of comprehensive cooperation with China.

They also said they hoped to continue boosting bilateral cooperation in such areas as financing, energy, infrastructure, technology and youth under the framework of the China-CELAC Forum so as to accelerate the industrialization process of the region, optimize the economic structures and achieve mutual benefits and win-win results along with China.