1st LD Writethru: Xi charts new course for China-LatAm community of common destiny

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday called on China and Latin American countries to strengthen dialogue on global issues and boost cooperation on domestic development, in a bid to better build their community of common destiny on a new starting point in history.

Xi made the remarks while addressing the Peruvian Congress on his first state visit to the country after attending the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders' Meeting in Lima.

Xi proposed that China and Latin America and the Caribbean hold high the banner of peaceful development and cooperation, seek synergy between their development strategies, speed up and upgrade practical cooperation and bring benefits to both peoples.

In his address, the president also elaborated on China-Peru relations, China's stance on international order and China's economic development.

NEW COURSE FOR CHINA-LATAM TIES

"We will strengthen strategic communication and dialogue on global issues and strive for greater representation and voice of emerging markets and developing countries," the Chinese president said.

He noted that China will firmly support Latin American countries in seeking development paths suited to their national conditions, gaining greater strength and prosperity through unity, and playing a bigger role in regional and international affairs.

Xi called for synergizing development strategies between China and Latin American and Caribbean states, and developing their relationship in the context of international and regional development through active participation in trade and investment arrangements and innovative development in the Asia-Pacific.

He highlighted the role of trade, investment, finance, industry and other sectors in scaling up their bilateral practical cooperation and urged the two sides to promote the development of the China-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Forum.

"We need to make sure that our people are the ones who promote, conduct and benefit from our cooperation," the president said.

He announced that in the next three years, China will increase the number of training opportunities of various kinds for Latin America and the Caribbean to 10,000.

A center for press exchange will be set up in China and journalists from Latin America and the Caribbean will be invited to study or work in China, he said.

In addition, China would like to suggest a roundtable on environment and development policies to be held in Beijing next year and looks forward to having active participation from LatAm countries, he said.

The Chinese president arrived in Peru Friday, the second stop of his ongoing three-nation Latin American tour. He had visited Ecuador and will also travel to Chile.

It is Xi's third visit to Latin America as president since he took office in 2013.

In his address, Xi also reviewed the friendly relations and exchanges between China and Peru, and between China and Latin American countries over the past years.

Before the speech, Xi was awarded the Grand-Cross Medal of Honor of the Peruvian Congress by Luz Salgado, president of the Congress. Endi