Chinese President Xi Jinping has a deep connection with Latin America, having visited the region multiple times and contributing to the strengthening of ties between China and the continent.
Xi is en route to Peru to attend the 31st APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Lima and for a state visit. After the Peru trip, he is scheduled to fly to Brazil for the 19th G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro and a state visit to the country.
Since becoming the Chinese head of state, Xi has flown to Latin America five times and visited 11 countries in the region. There, he met with state leaders, witnessed the signing of cooperation deals, visited local farms, sipped Costa Rican coffee and was gifted an Argentine soccer jersey with his name on it.
Back in 2013, Xi along with his wife Peng Liyuan visited the home of a coffee grower named Marco Zamora during his state visit to Costa Rica.
The Zamora family warmly welcomed their Chinese guests with fresh fruits, homemade desserts and coffee.
While chatting with the 77-year-old patriarch, Xi shared his impression of Costa Rica and its people, praising their simplicity, strong work ethic, and wisdom of the Costa Rican people.
"I came here with the hope of seeing how our people are living. I once worked at the grassroots level. I was a farmer for seven years," Xi said.
Zamora expressed his hope that Chinese consumers will enjoy coffee his family produces.
During Xi's visit, China and Costa Rica signed a number of agricultural trade agreements, paving the way for more high-quality Costa Rican products to enter the Chinese market.
A decade later, Costa Rican specialty coffee has established a strong foothold in China, benefiting more coffee farmers along the way.
In Ecuador, a man who was pulled alive from the rubble of the devastating 2016 earthquake thanks to the China-aided ECU-911 emergency system still vividly remembers his meeting with Xi at the emergency response service's headquarters, where he expressed his gratitude to the Chinese government in person.
On April 16, 2016, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Ecuador, leaving Pablo Cordova trapped under the debris. In desperation, he called for help through ECU-911, a China-assisted emergency response service, and was rescued.
Later, Cordova secured a job with ECU-911, the very system that had saved his life.
On Nov 17, 2016, Xi arrived in Quito, capital of Ecuador for a state visit. On the next day, Xi visited the ECU-911 headquarters, where he met with Cordova. Xi offered words of encouragement and showed concern for Cordova's recovery.
"We've heard what happened to him. Your tenacious fight against the disaster is a reflection of the spirit of the Ecuadorian people. I believe you will excel in your career," Xi said.
Addressing the China-Latin American and Caribbean Countries Leaders' Meeting in Brazil in 2014, Xi proposed that China and Latin America and the Caribbean build a community with a shared future, charting the course for the development of China-Latin America relations in the new era.
Over the years, Xi has on many occasions reiterated China's willingness to work with the region to advance Belt and Road cooperation and to deepen and consolidate cooperation between the two sides.
Chancay, a natural deep-water port located 78 km north of Lima, is a flagship Belt and Road project. Once in operation, it will become a major gateway to the oceans and a crucial hub in the South Pacific, helping redistribute cargo from countries such as Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, and Paraguay. Moreover, the sea freight time from South America to Asia will be reduced by half, from 45 days to 23.
The port is expected to boost trade and connectivity within and beyond the continent.
Over the past decade, China and Latin America have strengthened their partners under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
So far, 22 countries in the region have signed BRI cooperation documents with China. Joint projects, including the Belo Monte Hydropower Plant ultra-high-voltage transmission line in Brazil, Argentina's Belgrano Cargas railway and the Jamaica North-South Highway, have delivered tangible results.
China is now Latin America's second-largest trading partner and the top trading partner for Brazil, Chile, and Peru, reflecting their deepening economic ties.
Xi deepens China-Latin America ties through visits
