The Permanent Secretary of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA), Ambassador Lesly David, played an active role in the III Development Forum of Latin America and the Caribbean with China: Economic and trade connectivity for enhanced cooperation and shared social prosperity, which took place on 18 and 19 August in the city of Zhengzhou, Henan Province, as a strategic platform for deepening economic, trade and cooperation ties between the two regions.

The event, organised by SELA, in partnership with the Institute of Latin American Studies (ILAS) of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), brought together representatives from Latin American and Caribbean countries, officials, international organisations, experts and stakeholders involved in development, with the aim of identifying new opportunities for cooperation and promoting a bi-regional relationship based on economic and trade connectivity, innovation, investment and shared social prosperity.

In this context, Ambassador Lesly David reaffirmed SELA’s commitment to building bridges of cooperation that will enable the strategic exploitation of the existing complementarities between Latin America and the Caribbean and China.

“Our region has strategic resources, while China has technology, capital and logistics. We need to combine our respective strengths to create greater value and achieve mutually beneficial, win-win outcomes,” Ambassador Lesly David stated.

A leading role for SELA on the bi-regional cooperation agenda

SELA’s participation in this III Forum reflects the priority the organisation places on strengthening relations between Latin America and the Caribbean and China, and on developing concrete cooperation mechanisms that contribute to the region’s productive and social development.

The Forum facilitated the analysis of opportunities in areas such as productive investment, technological cooperation, infrastructure and renewable energy, with a view to moving beyond traditional models of trade in raw materials and promoting greater integration of Latin American and Caribbean economies into global value chains.

This approach is fully aligned with the priorities of SELA’s Work Programme for 2026–2029, which is structured around three main areas: Economic Recovery, Social Development, and Digitalisation and Infrastructure.

The leadership of Ambassador Lesly David

Since his arrival at the Permanent Secretariat of SELA, Ambassador Lesly David has placed the strengthening of regional integration and international partnerships at the heart of the organisation’s agenda.

His participation in Zhengzhou represents an opportunity to showcase SELA as a platform for regional coordination capable of linking the priorities of Latin American and Caribbean countries with new opportunities for international cooperation.

In this regard, the III Forum also serves as a concrete expression of SELA’s vision to promote a more integrated, competitive, resilient and inclusive region, through policy coordination, dialogue among governments and the development of cooperation initiatives that yield tangible results for their societies.

China and Latin America and the Caribbean: an agenda offering new opportunities

The significance of the meeting comes at a time when relations between China and Latin America and the Caribbean are becoming increasingly close. According to information released during the forum’s opening ceremony, bilateral trade reached a record high of US$ 549 billion in 2025, reflecting the scale of the economic ties between the two regions.

Against this backdrop, SELA highlights the need to channel this existing momentum into new opportunities for investment, technology transfer, innovation, infrastructure, trade and productive development.

The aim is to capitalise on the complementary strengths of both sides to generate greater value added, economic growth and shared benefits, placing people and sustainable development at the heart of cooperation.

Commitment to cooperation for integration

The III Development Forum of Latin America and the Caribbean with China consolidated SELA’s position as a key player in promoting dialogue and cooperation between the Latin American and Caribbean region and the major economies and international players.

For Ambassador Lesly David, this type of initiative demonstrates that regional integration must be accompanied by an active strategy for international integration, capable of attracting resources, technology and knowledge, while strengthening the productive capacities of Latin America and the Caribbean.

SELA will continue to work to ensure that forums for dialogue result in concrete actions, strategic partnerships and development opportunities, reaffirming its commitment to a Latin American and Caribbean region that is more integrated, competitive and inclusive, and better prepared to face the challenges and opportunities of the global economy.

China-LAC Forum is a platform for dialogue

At the Forum’s closing ceremony, CHAI Yu, Director-General of the Institute of Latin American Studies (ILAS) at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), outlined the conclusions reached by experts, business leaders, academics and officials on six strategic areas: digital empowerment and targeted poverty alleviation; addressing population ageing and its impact on economic development and sustainable growth; agri-food trade and livelihood empowerment; cooperation on renewable energy and scientific and technological innovation; trade logistics and employment generation; and cultural and educational exchanges and think tank cooperation.

He emphasised that the Forum has established itself as a platform for dialogue between think tanks and various sectors in China and Latin America and the Caribbean, contributing to the building of consensus and the formulation of proposals during the deliberations over the two days of the event.