Panelists at the China-Mexico Cooperation and Development Forum co-hosted by China International Communications Group (CICG) Center for the Americas and the Senate of the Republic of Mexico in Beijing on March 12 (CICG AMERICAS)   

Broadening and deepening bilateral ties were top of the agenda at the annual China-Mexico Cooperation and Development Forum, held on March 12 in Beijing. This year, the forum was jointly hosted on-site and online by China International Communications Group (CICG) Center for the Americas and the Senate of the Republic of Mexico under the theme of Continuing Friendship, Expanding Cooperation and Making Steady Progress. 

Officials and experts from the two countries shared their insights on bilateral ties, including cooperation under the China-Mexico comprehensive strategic partnership developed over the past decade. Participants discussed ways to further expand this cooperation through the strengthening of exchange and mutual learning in more fields. 

Gao Anming, Vice President and Editor in Chief of CICG, noted at the forum that over the last 52 years, the friendship between China and Mexico has progressed despite difficulties, the complementary aspects of bilateral relations have been highlighted and importance has been attached to the common interests of the relations. China is Mexico’s second largest trading partner, and Mexico is China’s second largest trading partner in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region. 

Mexico is an important emerging market. China and Mexico share similar philosophies of governance, on which the two sides should work closely for joint development, Gao said. 

According to Cora Cecilia Pinedo Alonso, President of the Asia-Pacific-Africa Foreign Relations Commission of the Senate of the Mexican Republic, China-Mexico relations have experienced significant development in recent years. Mexico has recognized the importance of China as a strategic partner in areas such as trade, investment and technological cooperation. Mexico also looks forward to deepening cooperation with China in politics, diplomacy, infrastructure, energy, trade and agriculture. 

In this context, it is crucial for both parties to continue dialogue and seek ways to strengthen their relationship for mutual benefit and sustainable development. By prioritizing shared development, the two sides can create an enabling environment for economic and social growth, and ensure that benefits reach all people and communities, both now and in the future, she said. 

“China places a high value on its relations with Mexico, and is willing to work with Mexico to implement the San Francisco consensus reached between the two leaders, explore the potential for cooperation, and make use of complementary advantages,” Zhang Run, Chinese ambassador to Mexico, told the forum. 

China welcomes Mexico to share the opportunities for prosperity and also hopes that Mexico will provide an open, inclusive, transparent and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies, and facilitate more people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, so that the friendship between China and Mexico continues to flourish, Zhang said. 

Online panelists in Mexico City join the China-Mexico Cooperation and Development Forum co-hosted by CICG Center for the Americas and the Senate of the Republic of Mexico on March 11 local time (CICG AMERICAS) 

“It is necessary to take advantage of a platform like this forum to review and propose guides that allow us to deepen cooperation to always get closer in our shared development,” Jesús Seade, Mexican ambassador to China, said at the forum. 

China and Mexico must continue to advance the cooperation that already exists in different areas, and “we cannot ignore the need to chart the path to follow,” Seade said. In this way, complementarity will translate into effective links in priority areas of development, which will deepen the friendship that characterizes the relationship between Mexico and China, he added. 

Participants also discussed the need to deepen economic and trade cooperation as well as cultural and people-to-people exchange to take bilateral cooperation to a new level.  

“Both China and Mexico are developing countries and it is necessary to strengthen cooperation and exchange between them so they can face challenges together,” Li Yafang, President of CICG Center for the Americas, told the forum. 

Media outlets and think tanks should play an active role as platforms for China-Mexico exchange, for the political, business, academic and media communities of the two countries to participate in dialogue and cooperation, Li said.  

China has much experience in achieving national development and common prosperity for its people, which Mexico should learn from. More efforts should also be made to promote people-to-people exchange by encouraging more young people to study in each other’s country, and helping entrepreneurs of the two countries strengthen exchanges, Yeidckol Polevnsky, President of the Mexico-China Friendship Group in Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies, told the forum. 

The year 2024 is a key year for Global South cooperation. China and Mexico, as major countries in the Global South, should improve economic and trade cooperation as well as cultural exchange to contribute to the building of a community of shared future between China and LAC countries, Xu Wei, counselor of the Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told the forum. 

Representatives of local governments also shared views on furthering China-Mexico cooperation. Zhang Xiaomei, Director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Hubei Provincial People's Government, said that the Hubei provincial government aspires to advance exchange and collaboration with Mexico in culture, tourism, education, media and think tanks, and green development.   

Chongqing Municipality has been an active practitioner of friendly exchange between China and Mexico, Wang Wen, Director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Chongqing Municipal People’s Government, told the forum. 

Copyedited by G.P. Wilson  

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