On the morning of October 17, 2023, President Xi Jinping held talks at the Great Hall of the People with Chilean President Gabriel Boric, who was visiting China to attend the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and to conduct a state visit.

Xi Jinping emphasized that Chile was the first South American country to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China and a pioneer in jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) between China and Latin America. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations over half a century ago, China and Chile have maintained steady and healthy development in their bilateral relations. Cooperation in various fields has contributed to the development and revitalization of both nations and brought tangible benefits to their peoples. The two countries have become close friends who trust each other and partners who work together for shared development. Under the current circumstances, China is willing to work with Chile to build on their traditional friendship and continually enrich the modern connotations of their comprehensive strategic partnership.

Xi provided a profound explanation of the essential connotations of Chinese modernization. He emphasized that China and Chile share similar principles, always adhering to mutual respect and win-win cooperation. Both sides should continue to firmly support each other in pursuing development paths that suit their respective national conditions and in safeguarding core interests and major concerns. Using the signing of the Belt and Road Cooperation Plan as an opportunity, the two sides should align their development strategies, promote high-quality BRI cooperation, deepen traditional cooperation in trade and infrastructure, and foster new growth areas in clean energy, the digital economy, and technological innovation. This will position Chile as a gateway for high-quality BRI cooperation between China and Latin America.

China is willing to strengthen exchanges on governance experiences with Chile, sharing successful practices in poverty alleviation, green transition, and environmental protection. China welcomes more high-quality Chilean agricultural and specialty products into its market and encourages Chinese enterprises to participate in major project construction in Chile. Both sides should enhance collaboration in Chinese language education and local exchanges, facilitate personnel exchanges, and strengthen the foundation of public support for bilateral relations. Efforts should also be made to boost cultural exchanges, promote mutual learning between civilizations, and set an example in implementing the Global Civilization Initiative. As members of the Global South, China and Chile should strengthen coordination and cooperation within frameworks such as the United Nations and APEC, uphold the unity and cooperation of developing countries, and defend genuine multilateralism and free trade. China values its relationship with Latin America and appreciates Chile’s positive role in promoting China-Latin America relations and the development of the China-CELAC Forum. China hopes that Chile will continue to play its unique role in advancing cooperation between China and Latin America.

Boric expressed his great honor in attending the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and conducting a state visit to China. Chile has achieved many “firsts” in developing relations between Latin America and China, which it takes pride in. He expressed high admiration for Chinese civilization and congratulated China on its remarkable achievements in poverty reduction and anti-corruption. He also thanked China for its selfless assistance during Chile’s challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Chile firmly adheres to the one-China principle and will continue to provide unwavering support to China on various occasions.

President Boric highly praised the Belt and Road Initiative, which is rooted in China’s 5,000-year-old traditional culture and based on principles of equality and mutual respect. The initiative has become a key platform for mutually beneficial cooperation and shared development among nations worldwide. Chile will continue to actively participate. He noted that Chile seeks to plan its long-term relationship with China and hopes to use this visit as an opportunity to strengthen cooperation in environmental protection, poverty alleviation, energy, technology, and mining, as well as deepen cultural exchanges. Chile welcomes Chinese enterprises to invest and operate in Chile, advancing bilateral relations to a new stage of development. Chile supports China’s accession to the CPTPP and the DEPA, highly values China’s commitment to peaceful diplomacy, and looks forward to strengthening communication and collaboration with China in APEC and other multilateral frameworks. Chile aspires to become a hub for cooperation between China and Latin America, playing an active role in promoting China-Latin America relations.

Following their talks, the two presidents witnessed the signing of multiple bilateral cooperation agreements in areas such as the Belt and Road Initiative, development cooperation, industrial investment, the digital economy, technological innovation, customs inspection and quarantine, agriculture, Antarctica, and SME cooperation.

The two sides also issued the Joint Statement of the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Chile.