In May 2025, the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC Forum was held in Beijing. In recent years, under the strategic guidance of head-of-state diplomacy, subnational exchanges between Beijing and cities in Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) countries have continued to deepen, consistently contributing to the broader development of China-LAC friendship.

Shared Development through Connectivity

In recent years, as China-LAC economic and trade cooperation deepens, there has been an ever-increasing demand for connectivity. In 2024, Beijing’s import and export volume with Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and Chile exceeded 200 billion yuan, indicating stronger economic and trade ties between Beijing and LAC countries.

Exhibition at the 16th China-LAC Business Summit (Photo by Beijing News)

Various green agricultural products, including Mexican yellow dragon fruit, Honduran whiteleg shrimp, Salvadoran coffee, Peruvian seedless grapes, and Chilean cherries, have become best-sellers in Beijing. Coming from afar, these products have won the hearts of Beijing consumers with their unique Latin-American flavor. Efficient maritime and air transportation connectivity between China and LAC countries allows agricultural products to reach their destination swiftly. In 2024, Beijing-Saint Paul and Beijing-Mexico international airlines resumed operations. Meanwhile, the first Chilean “Cherry Express” to the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region opened, paving the way for logistics and personnel exchanges between Beijing and LAC countries.

Honduran specialty product (whiteleg shrimp) promotion event (Photo by Capitalnews, a media brand under Beijing Daily)

Industrial parks and production lines constructed and operated by Beijing enterprises have been established in LAC countries successively, enhancing China-LAC connectivity. Thanks to China-LAC cooperation, Beijing enterprises, including Shougang Group, Beijing Enterprises Group Company Ltd., Beijing Construction Engineering Group, and BAIC Foton Motor Co., Ltd., have expanded their presence in LAC markets. As the first BRI project implemented in the Caribbean area, the Phoenix Park Industrial Estate in Trinidad and Tobago, constructed by Beijing Construction Engineering Group, was the first 5G-covered industrial park in the LAC region. Moreover, the first production line at FOTON’s manufacturing facility in Brazil has commenced operations, boosting China-LAC cooperation in commercial vehicles. 

The first light-duty vehicle from FOTON’s manufacturing facility in Brazil rolls off the production line (Photo by Guozijingjing, the WeChat Official Account of State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of Beijing Municipality)

LAC enterprises, represented by Embraer, are also enhancing their roots in Beijing and intensifying their investment here. Embraer has built bonded warehouses for aircraft materials and spare parts in the Beijing Tianzhu Free Trade Zone (BTFTZ), seizing the opportunities in China’s mega-market with localization strategies. In May 2025, Beijing Daxing-Ulaanbaatar scheduled flight commenced operations with Embraer-manufactured aircraft.

Embraer-manufactured aircraft operates the Beijing Daxing-Ulaanbaatar flight (Photo by Beijing News)