The Sixth Dialogue Between the Civilizations of China and the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) Countries took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on September 11 local time. The Media and Think Tank League of China and Latin American and Caribbean Countries, initiated by the China International Communications Group Center for the Americas (CICG Americas) was launched at the opening ceremony. On behalf of league members, President of CICG Americas Li Yafang read out the league’s Joint Declaration. 

President of CICG Americas Li Yafang (fourth right) and representatives of the league (ZHANG XINYANG)

The founding members of the league are 18 media and think tanks from China, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Chile and Peru. By jointly creating platforms for cooperation, the league aims to pool resources and engage in constructive communication, dialogue, joint research and staff training. All members will cooperate in a range of related areas, including information exchange, interviews and production, content sharing, personnel exchange, professional training, academic seminars and research projects, to maximize the impact of sharing resources, information and achievements.  

League members pledge to provide more objective, authentic and accurate information to the world, contribute to deepening communication and mutual learning between China and LAC countries, promote friendly exchanges and cooperation, and create a bright future. Aiming to advance the construction of a fair and just international order and the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, the league welcomes new members and hopes to expand its scope of cooperation in the future under the principle of friendliness and openness. 

As an international communications institution focused on the Americas, CICG Americas owns the Beijing Review and China Today media brands. The organization publishes several multilingual magazines and media products, operates multilingual social media accounts and websites, conducts regional studies and organizes people-to-people exchanges. It has offices in the United States, Mexico and Peru.  

CICG Americas has long been committed to promoting cultural and people-to-people exchanges and fostering affinity and mutual understanding between China and LAC countries. The establishment of the league will further strengthen the exchanges and cooperation between CICG Americas and all sectors of LAC countries, and lend the organization new impetus to take up a greater role in promoting the development of China-LAC relations.    

In her speech at the forum, Li said that Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Civilizations Initiative in his keynote address when attending the Communist Party of China in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-Level Meeting via video link on March 15. The exchanges and mutual learning between China and LAC countries are entering the best period in history guided by the Global Civilizations Initiative. In this context, the media, as an important bridge and link between China and the LAC countries, should play a more prominent role in practicing exchange and mutual learning between the Chinese and LAC civilizations as well as in promoting the building of a China-LAC community with a shared future. 

Li put forward several suggestions for media to better shoulder social responsibilities: actively practicing the Global Civilizations Initiative; building an international discourse system; respecting the diversity of civilizations and endorsing cultural communication; speaking up for regional and world peace; and defending the common interests of the Global South.       

The Sixth Dialogue Between the Civilizations of China and the LAC Countries was co-hosted by the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies, CLACSO, the Foreign Affairs Office of the Jiangsu Provincial Government, FLACSO, the Institute of Latin American Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, CICG Americas, CICG Blossom Press and the Beijing China-Latin America Cultural Exchange Center.  

The forum was themed on jointly implementing the Global Civilizations Initiative and working together to build a China-LAC community with a shared future.