Xiplomacy: How China, LAC countries bolster shared development, boost Global South unity

Despite differences in civilizations and cultures, independence and self-determination remain a shared and defining spirit of the Global South, said Ninfa Montano, president of the China-Mexico Cultural Development Foundation.

"The China-CELAC Forum unites the strength of the Global South, promoting unity and cooperation among many developing countries, and will contribute to establishing a more just and equitable global governance system," Montano said.

Montano's view was echoed by many analysts, who see the ministerial meeting as a chance to deepen cooperation, address global challenges and reinforce South-South solidarity.

The cooperation between China and LAC countries has set a model of mutually beneficial South-South collaboration, said Manuel Alberto Hidalgo, economist at Peru's National University of San Marcos.

By deepening bilateral partnership, both sides have effectively strengthened solidarity and cooperation in the Global South and made positive contributions to promoting the bloc's greater role in global governance, he said.

For Ingrid Chavez, executive director of the Colombian-Chinese Chamber of Investment and Commerce, the cooperation helps build up "a common voice as a bloc," empowering LAC countries to negotiate more effectively on the global stage.

It helps LAC countries "establish interregional, multilateral relations and somewhat change the power dynamics that have existed until now at the global level," she added.