China has long tapped Latin America to supply oil, iron ore, soybeans and other commodities, all drivers of growth for many Latin American countries. But also a source of frustration for those that hope to grow their economies and exports with more than mining and farm goods.
China’s leader, Xi Jinping, is trying to show that he is listening. He told a gathering of Latin American leaders and officials in Beijing on Tuesday that he wanted to expand cooperation in “emerging areas,” including clean energy, telecommunications and artificial intelligence.
Speaking a day after China and the United States announced a provisional reduction of punitive tariffs against each other, Mr. Xi did not mention President Trump by name in his remarks to representatives from the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States. But Mr. Xi said China was their most reliable partner in a turbulent world, a theme that he also deployed in a recent visit to Southeast Asian countries and other diplomatic meetings.
“China will increase its imports of high-quality products from Latin American and Caribbean countries and encourage its enterprises to expand investment in that region,” Mr. Xi told the audience, which included President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil and Gabriel Boric, the president of Chile. Faced with “a surging tide of unilateralism and protectionism,“ China stood ready to help, Mr. Xi said.
Other leaders also made indirect references to the tariffs threats and other pressure from the Trump administration. “We are here to reaffirm that multilateralism and dialogue, not unilateral impositions, are the way to address the challenges facing humanity,” Mr. Boric told the meeting.
Mr. Xi did not give much detail in his lofty speech, which — in a sign of his interest in China’s heritage — also proposed “collaborative studies” of ancient civilizations in China and Latin America.