SANTIAGO, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries remain committed to further cooperation with China, and will play a bigger role in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, LAC officials said during their meetings with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi here Monday.
During his meeting with Mexican Foreign Secretary Luis Videgaray, Wang said Chinese President Xi Jinping had met Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto at the Dialogue of Emerging Market and Developing Countries in Xiamen, China, last September, reaching important consensus and promoting bilateral cooperation.
This indicated the strategic importance and high level of China-Mexico relations, Wang said.
Noting that Mexico was a crucial junction on the ancient maritime Silk Road, Wang thanked the Latin American country for supporting the Belt and Road Initiative, and said China would like to deepen the bilateral practical cooperation.
He also said China is willing to strengthen its strategic communication and coordination with Mexico and hopes stable China-Mexico relations will promote peace and development in the region and around the world.
Videgaray said with the global community facing uncertainty, the two countries should maintain coordination and cooperation on multilateral issues and join hands to mitigate climate change impacts.
He said Mexico was thankful to China for bringing the Belt and Road Initiative into the China-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum and was willing to play a bigger part in the realization of the initiative.
While meeting his Peruvian counterpart Cayetana Aljovin, Wang said China is willing to help Peru enhance its infrastructure-building capability, deepen bilateral production capacity cooperation, and explore new cooperation opportunities in areas like innovation and communication.
Aljovin said China, Peru's largest trading partner, has made important contributions to the long-time socio-economic development of Peru. Peru supports the Belt and Road Initiative, and is willing to partner in it to further bilateral practical cooperation.
Wang also met with chiefs of regional organizations and institutions such as the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Development Bank of Latin America, and the Caribbean Development Bank.
China appreciates regional organizations' support for the Belt and Road Initiative, Wang said. Their participation could be an opportunity to deepen cooperation in finance and infrastructure, promote development and industrialization of Latin America, and create new potentials, space and impetus for cooperation.
The chiefs said they support the initiative and look forward to realizing diversified trade between China and Latin America and new impetus in the development of China-Latin American relations under the initiative's framework.
Wang told Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez that China has always supported Cuba's following a development path in line with its national conditions and appreciates Cuba's contribution to the establishment of the China-CELAC Forum and its outcomes.
He hoped Cuba will continue its important role in promoting cooperation between China and LAC.
Rodriguez said Cuba values China's important role in maintaining global peace and stability and promoting global economic development and South-South cooperation. Cuba is willing to deepen bilateral relations and strengthen coordination in global affairs, he said.
