Consolidating cooperation

Working together has never been more necessary for China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States

In the first half of this year, a meeting will be held between two of the main players in South-South relations, China and the Latin American and Caribbean economies grouped within the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, coinciding with the 10th anniversary of this bi-regional forum.

On March 7,Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi addressed this relationship very clearly, saying it is South-South cooperation. He maintained that "there is only mutual support in this cooperation, no geopolitical calculations" and that the principles of equality and mutual benefit prevail, since "it never seeks sphere of influence or targets any party".

I have been saying for years that LAC should take advantage of traditional Chinese supply (technology, financing and infrastructure), given the proven complementarity between the Chinese and LAC economies. However, in addition to the general difficulties in maintaining long-term policy, the LAC countries are now faced with other global restrictions, of which they are basically one of the many victims. The new administration of the United States is the source of new problems, as its decisions run counter to the multilateralism to which we adhere, are contrary to the trade practices established after World War II, which we strongly support, and even contradict the freedom of movement of people within the continent. The US administration is relentless in its quest to universalize its values and prioritize its own interests to the detriment of others, to the point of openly disregarding the views and destinies of "others" as long as its policies pursue supposed benefits for the US, and to the detriment of the global governance frameworks that would allow us to live in a more just world that embraces the differences between countries.

Washington is now largely operating under a new economic model characterized by strong protectionism, restrictions on foreign investment, a dense industrial policy filled with regulations and subsidies, and, at the expense of its proclaimed values, immigration restrictions and brutal policies against foreigners.The impact of these policies on some LAC countries is profound, given the historical dependence of some economies on remittances and sales to the US. This inward-looking approach by the US administration, while openly contradicting the foreign policy definitions of its predecessor, sends a very clear message about LAC, pushing it toward the political spaces where it can truly be considered as a region, where its interests are considered, and where it can feel involved in defining its own destiny: the Global South. This shifting political space, where China is an important player, is the location of the table at which LAC has seats. For several reasons, CELAC as a whole can become an important interlocutor within the Global South.

In this context, Sino-Latin American cooperation becomes an excellent vehicle for joint work, where a shared destiny can be envisioned, in which all regional decisions are made not only based on the interests of LAC but also on those of the other participants in a new global order that takes into account the interests of all economies willing to work toward common goals. This is how the BRICS group emerged, and this mechanism has now become one of great importance, one might say irreplaceable, given the turbulence resulting from the policies adopted by the economies of the Northern Hemisphere.

There are several examples of how regional political differences can also find common ground through win-win policies, regardless of the circumstances. In the case of Argentina and China, many meetings allowed both sides to decide to continue respecting and accommodating each other's fundamental interests and main concerns to continually consolidate the political foundation of bilateral relations. Since China emphasizes that it does not seek spheres of influence or engage in geopolitical competition, its firm push to practice multilateralism in international affairs is a position entirely conducive to Argentine interests.Sino-Latin American cooperation should be a priority, as we have untapped capabilities. There are examples of the path forward: some aspects of this collaboration can be seen when 70 teachers from the Southern Cone meet in Buenos Aires to improve their Mandarin Chinese skills, or, enter more sectors of cooperation, and when China extols cooperation with Brazil on key issues such as supply chain development, or in the political arena when the Chinese embassy in Mexico rejects the statements by US diplomats on Sino-Mexican cooperation or supports Argentina in safeguarding its sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands. In these aforementioned cases, which range from the intensification of cultural cooperation with Argentina to the realm of political positions with Mexico and Argentina, including the concrete development of productive capacities in Brazil, it is evident that the determination of large LAC economies to move forward with China is a cooperative path of mutual benefit framed within a closer, long-term relationship that will not be unraveled by measures taken by third parties that do not consider the development of less advantaged economies.

Last February in Munich, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang stated that China is ready to work with Latin American countries to support the development and growth of the China-CELAC Forum, so the two sides can help each other achieve common development and shared prosperity. These remarks should not be ignored. Given the international situation, which presents tremendous movements in which LAC appears to be suffering the consequences and lacking sufficient capacity to change the course of the US' decisions that greatly affect it, the initial definitions and subsequent joint and determined actions between China and CELAC surely constitute a path that must be consolidated by building on the progress made so far and go even further in terms of transforming political will into projects to successfully navigate the US' misguided protectionist policies and those contrary to multilateral frameworks, which so severely affect the economies of the Global South. In that sense, the upcoming meeting between CELAC and China can lead to an unprecedented coordination of interests, as it has never been clearer than now that both regions must work together for the benefit of all.

The author is director of CEISiL and the Graduate Program on Contemporary China at the National University of Lanús, Argentina. The author contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

Contact the editor at editor@chinawatch.cn.