Worthy Christian News > World News > China Courts Latin America in High-Stakes Beijing Summit Amid U.S. Trade Tensions

China Courts Latin America in High-Stakes Beijing Summit Amid U.S. Trade Tensions

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – China is rolling out the red carpet for Latin America this week, hosting a high-level summit with regional leaders just days after reaching a tentative truce with Washington in their ongoing trade war.

The China-CELAC Forum, held Tuesday in Beijing, drew presidents Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, Gustavo Petro of Colombia, and Gabriel Boric of Chile, alongside officials from dozens of other Latin American and Caribbean nations. At the heart of the summit: China’s deepening ambition to cement itself as Latin America’s premier partner in trade, investment, and global diplomacy.

President Xi Jinping addressed the forum for the first time in a decade, declaring, “Only through unity and co-operation can we safeguard world peace and stability and promote global development and prosperity. Trade wars and tariffs benefit no one.”

The timing was striking. Just days earlier, Chinese and U.S. officials declared a cooling of hostilities in their escalating trade dispute. The two sides claimed an “important consensus” had been reached and announced plans to launch a new economic dialogue. U.S. officials hailed the outcome as a step toward reducing the American trade deficit.

But even as diplomacy resumed, China launched a charm offensive on America’s southern doorstep. Bilateral trade between China and CELAC countries reached $427 billion from January to September 2024 alone, and Xi’s message was clear: China is ready to do more.

Beijing announced a new $9 billion investment credit line for the region, expanded visa-free travel, and pledged direct investment in infrastructure and key sectors such as energy and mining.

The summit also saw some geopolitical curveballs. Haiti and St. Lucia — two nations that formally recognize Taiwan rather than the People’s Republic of China — were still welcomed at the forum. In a rare diplomatic overture, their flags flew alongside other member states.

“The China-CELAC Forum is an important platform for mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Latin American and Caribbean countries,” said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian.

The move marked a striking contrast with U.S. foreign policy under President Trump, who has taken an increasingly hardline approach toward both China and Latin America.

Trump’s controversial push to “take back” the Panama Canal, combined with the $23 billion sale of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison’s port operations to the U.S.-led BlackRock consortium, drew Beijing’s ire and led to heightened tensions over strategic assets in the region.

In stark opposition, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has poured billions into Latin American infrastructure. Peru’s BRI-backed Port of Chancay, inaugurated six months ago, has become a symbol of China’s growing footprint. Colombia, under President Petro, is now signaling it will join the BRI as well.

“A horizontal dialogue, rather than a vertical one … free of authoritarianism, of imperialism,” Petro urged during the summit.

Chile, the world’s second-largest lithium producer, remains another strategic target. President Boric confirmed plans to meet Xi and discuss downstream investment from China’s Tsingshan Group.

Brazil, however, stole the spotlight. As China’s largest trade partner in Latin America — exporting soybeans, iron ore, and crude oil — Brazil’s presence was both economic and symbolic. Xi welcomed Lula’s state visit with a series of bilateral signings and an eye toward building what Lula called an “unbreakable” relationship.

“The future of the region does not depend on President Xi Jinping, it does not depend on the United States, it does not depend on the European Union,” Lula said. “It depends solely and simply on whether we want to be great or continue to be small.”

While American soybean exports to China once dominated the market, that grip has loosened. China now buys over 70% of its soybeans from Brazil — a seismic shift since U.S. farmers held a 40% share in 2016.

In the backdrop, Trump continues to pitch the narrative of a rebalanced U.S.-China relationship. “The relationship with China has been totally reset,” he said, claiming things are now “very, very good.” But Beijing’s tone remains confrontational.

Chinese officials decried U.S. fentanyl-related tariffs as political scapegoating, calling it “the US’s problem, not China’s,” and warned against further “smearing and shifting blame.”

Xi, speaking to his Latin American audience, closed with a thinly veiled jab at Washington stated, “Bullying and hegemonism only lead to self-isolation.”

As Beijing tightens its grip on the Global South and America looks inward, the China-CELAC Forum has become more than just a regional gathering — it’s a front line in the fight for global influence.