China to host first ministerial meeting of China-CELAC Forum

China will work with members of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) to prepare for the first China-CELAC ministerial forum, said a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman on Monday.

The meeting is scheduled to be held in Beijing on Jan. 8 and Jan. 9. Foreign ministers or representatives from China and CELAC, together with heads of some Latin American regional organizations will attend.

The second CELAC summit, last January, did important groundwork to establish the forum.

The meeting will discuss guiding principles of cooperation, major cooperative areas and institution building issues, said spokesperson Hua Chunying.

The two sides will use the forum for collective dialogue on politics, economics, trade and culture.

China is willing to engage in dialogue with other Latin American organizations to build a cooperative network enabling the two sides to complement each other with their own advantages, she said.

Established in December 2011 in Caracas, Venezuela, CELAC comprises all countries in North and South Americas but the United States and Canada. Enditem