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Colombian President calls for LAC countries, China to defend multilateralism

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Colombian President calls for LAC countries, China to defend multilateralism

2025-05-17 15:38 Last Updated At:18:47

Colombian President Gustavo Petro called on Latin American and Caribbean states and China to defend multilateralism and safeguard shared interests during an interview in Beijing on Wednesday.

During his trip to China, Petro attended the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum in the Chinese capital on Tuesday, where he delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony. In his address, he emphasized the importance of dialogue among civilizations.

In an interview with China Media Group (CMG), Petro echoed his earlier address as he stressed that dialogue should transcend national borders and power imbalances, advocating for the preservation of multilateralism.

"Just like in the works of Gabriel García Márquez, Latin America's magical realism can certainly bring the "Jaguar of the Americas" together with the "Chinese Dragon". As I said in my speech, China has put forward the Global Civilization Initiative. We, too, have long advocated for dialogue among civilizations, a concept that goes beyond dialogue between countries. It is a dialogue among peoples, cultures, and civilizations. It pushes us to transcend the traditional notion of the nation-state and move toward a new vision that recognizes humanity itself as the political subject," he said.

Márquez (1927–2014) is a Nobel laureate and Colombian writer best known for his work One Hundred Years of Solitude, a prime example of the magical realist literary style, which blends a realistic depiction of the world with fantastical or magical elements.

Petro also criticized attempts by certain powers to undermine multilateralism and called for joint action by CELAC and China to defend it.

Today, large-scale multilateral events are in decline, largely because certain powers are attempting to dismantle multilateralism and replace it with bilateral dealings defined by power imbalance. In reality, it is not about dialogue at all, but one-sided imposition. China and CELAC must stand together to defend multilateralism and to ensure that countries continue meeting, building consensus, setting joint agendas, and safeguarding shared interests," the Columbian president said.

Colombian President calls for LAC countries, China to defend multilateralism

Colombian President calls for LAC countries, China to defend multilateralism

Colombian President calls for LAC countries, China to defend multilateralism

Colombian President calls for LAC countries, China to defend multilateralism

Colombian President calls for LAC countries, China to defend multilateralism

Colombian President calls for LAC countries, China to defend multilateralism

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China's smart consumer device industry sees rapid growth amid policy boost

2025-07-13 22:01 Last Updated At:22:37

China's smart consumer device manufacturing sector has seen rapid growth this year, fueled by a government-backed trade-in program and the expansion of diversified consumption scenarios.

From January to May, the country's electronic information manufacturing industry maintained strong momentum, with total revenue of enterprises above the designated size reaching 6.49 trillion yuan (some 900 billion U.S. dollars), up 9.4 percent year on year.

Production of electronic consumer goods recorded steady increases. Over 140 million computers were produced during the period, up 8 percent from a year earlier, while 14.04 million television units rolled off assembly lines, up 1.7 percent year on year.

"Consumption scenarios are becoming more diversified. On the demand side, new smart products are quickly entering the market, opening up emerging markets in home services, health management, and beyond. On the supply side, the industry is clearly moving toward transformation and upgrading, with new growth drivers accelerating," said Zuo Kairui, director of the Industry Development Department of the Institute of Policy and Economics at the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology.

Looking ahead to the second half of the year, China plans to go on promoting its "AI plus consumer goods" initiative, encouraging the development and application of new technologies such as smart wearables, ultra-high-definition video, brain-computer interfaces, and robotics.

Meanwhile, authorities will continue to foster high-growth consumer sectors and guide the smart device industry toward greener, more service-oriented development.

China's smart consumer device industry sees rapid growth amid policy boost

China's smart consumer device industry sees rapid growth amid policy boost

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