Latin American, Caribbean diplomats plant friendship trees in Beijing

China

Latin American, Caribbean diplomats plant friendship trees in Beijing

2025-04-19 10:21 Last Updated At：16:57

A number of Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) ambassadors to China on Friday participated in a tree planting activity in Beijing as a symbol to nurture friendship between their countries and China, ahead of the upcoming 4th ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC (the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum.

The ambassadors and representatives planted ginkgo saplings to symbolize that the friendship between China and LAC countries is thriving and vibrant.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the China-CELAC Forum, and the 4th ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC Forum will be held in Beijing in the first half of the year.

The diplomats said that over the past decade, the forum mechanism has been continuously improved, pushing China-Latin America relations into a new stage of equality, mutual benefit, innovation, openness and delivering real benefits to the people.

"The fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC Forum will be held in Beijing in the first half of this year, which has received positive responses from LAC countries and regional organizations. I believe that the meeting will surely become a grand event of China-Latin America solidarity and cooperation, and set a new milestone for developing the relations between China-Latin America. At present, the preparations for the forum have entered the sprint stage. We are willing to strengthen communication and coordination with the ambassadors of Latin American countries in China to ensure the success of this meeting," Qiu Xiaoqi, special representative of the Chinese government for Latin American affairs, said at the tree planting event.

Many ambassadors said that in the current context of increasing global uncertainty and instability, the upcoming meeting will set a new milestone in the development of China-Latin America relations and help strengthen cooperation in the Global South.

"Cooperation within the framework of Belt and Road Initiative is an important way for Latin American countries and China to deepen their cooperation and promote trade." said Hugo Siles, ambassador of Bolivia to China.

"China has become the most prominent trading partner of all south American countries, and No. 2 trading partner for the whole Latin American and the Caribbean, and one of the key, most important actors in the areas of financing and investment, and also a very important actor in the field of cooperation," said Fernando Lugris, ambassador of Uruguay to China.

U.S. claim to control Greenland creates division within European allies for its own interests: expert

The U.S. claim to take control of Greenland is unacceptable and it aims to sow division within its NATO members and its natural allies in Europe to serve its own interests, said a Spanish expert.

In an interview with China Media Group (CMG), Spanish international relations expert Javier Porras Belarra said he could not understand the U.S. position on Greenland and found the related remarks unacceptable.

"From our point of view, these U.S. statements are equivalent to an infringement on European territory, because we must remember that Greenland belongs to Denmark. That means we are facing a conflict, or at least a potential conflict, taking place on European soil, and even more broadly, between NATO member states. So U.S. President Donald Trump's claims regarding Greenland were nearly impossible to justify or accept, and the European Union is viewing this with a certain amount of astonishment, because this kind of claim from the U.S. is inconceivable," he said.

The expert said the U.S. administration has been intensifying divisions within NATO through its policies and rhetoric, while weakening ties with traditional European allies.

According to the expert, the U.S. administration is trying to undermine European unity to advance its own interests.

"The U.S. administration is deepening divisions within NATO and eroding relationships with its traditional allies, namely European countries. This is a classic 'divide and conquer' strategy. They think this will work in their favor and believe a united Europe is not in the U.S. interests, or at least not in the interests of the current administration," he said.