Beijing Declaration of the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC Forum
1. The Member States of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the People's Republic of China have met under the premise of "Planning Together for Development and Revitalization, Jointly Building a China-LAC Community with a Shared Future," in Beijing on May 13, 2025, for the IV Ministerial Meeting of the CELAC-China Forum (CCF), where we exchanged views with the purpose of reaffirming our commitment to strengthening political dialogue, cooperation and mutual understanding.
2. We appreciate the presence of Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Heads of State and Government Gustavo Petro of the Republic of Colombia, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of the Federative Republic of Brazil, and Gabriel Boric Font of the Republic of Chile.
3. We celebrate the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the CELAC-China Forum. Over the past ten years, the two sides have achieved fruitful results in bi-regional cooperation, based on the principles of sovereign equality, respect, pluralism, openness, and mutual benefit, thanks to joint efforts and South-South cooperation. In this context of multiple relations with different regions of the world, we reiterate our willingness, with openness and inclusion, to continue working to consolidate the CELAC-China Forum as a platform for expanding bi-regional cooperation between Latin America and the Caribbean and the People's Republic of China.
4. We believe that, in a context of rapid global change, the FCC has become one of the most relevant platforms for strengthening cooperation between CELAC members and China. We highlight the supportive role of the countries of the Global South and reaffirm our intention to coordinate efforts to advance modernization and sustainable development, linking the strengths and capabilities of our states.
5. We consider the possibilities raised in the "CELAC-China Joint Action Plan for Cooperation in Key Areas (2025-2027)" and express our willingness to analyze them based on our shared principles, with a view to subsequently addressing them in a coordinated manner on issues of interest to the parties involved.
6. We reiterate our willingness to cooperate in key areas to address global challenges, acting in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law. We affirm that regional and multilateral cooperation is essential for achieving sustainable, inclusive, and balanced development in its economic, social, and environmental dimensions.
7. We emphasize that sustainable development is a shared aspiration of the peoples of the world and express our willingness to promote exchanges between governments to deepen mutual learning in areas such as infrastructure, connectivity, scientific and technological innovation, energy transition, and poverty reduction. Both parties reaffirm their commitment to supporting each other in exploring development models aligned with the characteristics and needs of their respective societies.
8. The parties recognize their mutual contributions to safeguarding world peace, strengthening friendship and cooperation, and promoting common development at the global level. We reiterate our recognition of the proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace and of the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean.
9. We note several initiatives, in which some States participate, such as the launch of the Global Partnership against Hunger and Poverty, proposed by Brazil, as well as the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI), and the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), proposed by China, to which some States are party.
10. We value the importance of continuing to advance initiatives that promote regional integration, the development of sustainable infrastructure, connectivity, and adequate conditions for the implementation of cooperation projects. We recognize the contributions of the parties involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, which has supported economic and social development in some areas of both regions.
11. We agree on the importance of upholding international law and promoting the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. We are committed to the principles of equality among nations, mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. We support the peaceful settlement of differences, disputes, and conflicts, respect non-interference in the internal affairs of other States, oppose the threat or use of force in international relations and the imposition of unilateral coercive measures, and are committed to promoting a more democratic international order. The CELAC member states that maintain diplomatic relations with China reaffirm their commitment to the One China Principle.
12. We reiterate the urgency of reforming global governance institutions to adapt them to the realities of the 21st century. We recognize the need to reform the United Nations Security Council with a view to making it more representative, democratic, and effective, enabling its composition to respond more adequately to global challenges and strengthening the representation and voice of developing countries, including those in Latin America and the Caribbean. Reform of the United Nations Security Council must adhere to democratic consultation.
13. China notes the position of the LAC countries that the time has come for a national of a Latin American and Caribbean country to assume the position of Secretary-General of the United Nations, considering that of the nine Secretaries-General of the UN to date, only one has been from the region.
14. We advocate for a peaceful world and an inclusive and mutually beneficial economic globalization. In this regard, we underline the need for global economic governance to address the shared priorities of all nations, particularly those of developing countries. We reaffirm our support for a fair, transparent, and rules-based multilateral trading system. [1]
15. We call for reform of the international financial system to make it more efficient, more equitable, better aligned with today's world, and capable of responding to the challenges facing developing countries, including China and Latin America and the Caribbean, in closing the financing gap to meet international commitments.
16. Through economic globalization, we seek to deepen cooperation between Latin America and the Caribbean and the People's Republic of China, improving connectivity. We will work to increase economic security and respond to the challenges of financing for development.
17. We call on all parties to consider acceding to international instruments on climate change, respecting the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, without using these instruments to establish new trade barriers. The specific conditions of developing countries, including those in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and landlocked countries, must be taken into account.
18. We welcome the holding of the 30th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 30) in the Latin American and Caribbean region, which will take place in Belém, Brazil, from 10 to 21 November 2025. This will provide an opportunity to strengthen our collective efforts in the fight against climate change. In this context, we reiterate our commitment to multilateralism, international cooperation, and the strengthening of all pillars of the climate regime. We also underline the importance of fully operationalizing and adequately capitalizing the climate-related funds established at previous COPs, including the Loss and Damage Fund and the Green Climate Fund, to support developing countries' efforts to address the impacts of climate change and advance a just and equitable transition.
19. We welcome the holding of the Second International Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development +20 (ICARRD +20) in Cartagena, Colombia. This conference, supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), will promote South-South cooperation and also consider experiences, including China's rural revitalization strategy.
20. We note the adoption and opening for signature of the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), within the framework of the United Nations, as well as Chile's offer to host the Agreement's secretariat in the city of Valparaíso.
21. We affirm that the governance of emerging and transformative technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), must have the United Nations at its center to ensure inclusive and legitimate discussions.
22. We commit to promoting human rights, including equality for all people, the empowerment of all women and girls, closing gender gaps, and protecting the rights of children, older persons, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, rural communities, peoples of African descent, and people in vulnerable situations, thus contributing to equality, development, and global peace.
23. We condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and reject its unilateral association with any religion, race, ethnicity, or nationality. We warn against the misuse of counterterrorism efforts for purposes incompatible with international law and reaffirm our commitment to international cooperation in counterterrorism measures.
24. We believe that integrity is a shared value and that preventing and combating transnational organized crime and crimes related to drug and chemical precursor trafficking, the illegal arms trade, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, corruption, and illegal mining, among others, are essential to promoting justice, economic growth, and protecting the rule of law. We commit to strengthening cooperation, including judicial and law enforcement collaboration, the exchange of best practices, and joint action in this area, in accordance with relevant international agreements.
25. We reaffirm our strong support for the stability of the Republic of Haiti and our commitment to contribute decisively, within our respective capacities, to Haiti's efforts, together with the international community and the United Nations, to re-establish a human security environment conducive to the normalization of its political, economic, and social situation through a comprehensive development approach.
26. We thank regional organizations such as the Latin American and Caribbean Parliament (PARLATINO), the Central American Parliament (PARLACEN), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA), and the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO) for their participation in this meeting. China reiterates its willingness to engage in dialogue and cooperation with these and other regional bodies, in consensus with the CELAC member states, with the aim of building a network of open, inclusive, and comprehensive cooperation between Latin America and the Caribbean and the People's Republic of China.
27. We express satisfaction with the positive results of this meeting. The CELAC member states thank the People's Republic of China for its preparations. China, in turn, expresses its appreciation to the CELAC pro tempore presidencies, Honduras and Colombia, for facilitating the participation of the member states.
28. We agreed to maintain communication regarding the convening of the next FCC meeting in 2028.
* The Argentine Republic was absent from the Ministerial Plenary at the Fourth Meeting of the CELAC-China Forum and did not participate in the adoption of these documents.
[1] The Government of the Republic of Costa Rica dissociates itself from this paragraph.