Mutual Learning and Building a New Type of Cooperative Relations Between China and Latin America

Guo Cunhai

The year 2021 marks the centenary of the Communist Party of China （CPC）. It is also crucial for China to embark on a new journey towards building a modern socialist country and the second centenary goal. Chinas century-old development has benefited from absorbing and learning from the development experience of other countries on the one hand， and has contributed wisdom to countries around the world in their exploration of development paths suited to their respective national conditions on the other hand. China is ready to share its development wisdom and experience with other countries， especially developing countries.

China is the worlds largest developing country while Latin America and the Caribbean （LAC） hosts many developing countries. Both sides enjoy rich experience in their quest for modernization. Since the beginning of the new century， China and LAC have been closely linked in their development， and the two sides have formed a community of common development. Since 2020， the COVID-19 pandemic has posed development and governance challenges to both China and LAC， which calls for joint response from the two sides. In this context， the white paper Chinas International Development Cooperation in the New Era， issued by the State Council Information Office in January 2021， provided policy guidance for Chinas cooperation with developing regions including LAC. As China-LAC cooperation will deepen and develop into a high-quality one in the coming years， the two sides are in urgent need of building a new type of exchange and cooperation aimed at common development and featuring knowledge sharing and mutual learning.

Chinas Outlook on Development in the New Era： Development Cooperation and Mutual Learning

The year 2021 marks the 70th anniversary of Chinas foreign aid. In the past 70 years， China has generally gone through four development stages in its foreign assistance， during which the philosophy and practices of foreign aid were constantly changing.1 As the largest developing country in the world， Chinas role as both a recipient country and a donor country facilitates its theoretical and practical innovation in development. In particular， since the 18th CPC National Congress， President Xi Jinping has considered Chinas responsibilities from a global perspective and proposed the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind， the Belt and Road Initiative （BRI） and the Global Development Initiative. China is committed to pursuing the greater good and shared interests and upholding the principles of amity， sincerity， mutual benefit， and inclusiveness in expanding relations with neighboring countries. These ideas present Chinas approach and wisdom and help resolve global development issues and implement the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. During this period， China， by its development practices and cooperation experience， realized a profound transformation from providing foreign aid to launching development cooperation and formed its unique vision of international development cooperation. Three symbolic events mark the formation of this vision， namely， the launch of the Center for International Knowledge on Development （CIKD）， the establishment of the China International Development Cooperation Agency， and the release of the white paper Chinas International Development Cooperation in the New Era.

The Center for International Knowledge on Development. In September 2015， President Xi Jinping said at the UN Development Summit that China would continue to pursue the greater good and shared interests， with higher priority given to the former， and take a series of measures to implement the Post-2015 Development Agenda，2 the most remarkable one of which is the announcement of the launch of the CIKD. In August 2017， the CIKD was officially established. It strives for research and communication with other countries on development theories and practices suitable to their respective national conditions， and contributing the Chinese wisdom on development and the Chinese solution to sustainable development through exchanges and mutual learning.3 “The CIKD will undoubtedly promote the diversification of development knowledge and cooperation， and strengthen the sustainable development partnership of common learning and coordinated development.”4

China International Development Cooperation Agency. As the end of the Cold War in the 1990s shook the international aid system， donor countries shifted their goals from serving political and ideological needs to facilitating development and poverty reduction. Since the beginning of the 21st century， an increasing number of donor countries have begun to use “development cooperation” instead of “foreign aid” to describe their relations with recipient countries in their organization names and official documents. This change in the concept highlights development issues， emphasizes the importance of recipient countries and puts them on an equal footing， and has also affected China to some extent. In March 2018， the State Council established the China International Development Cooperation Agency in its institutional reform plan. Chinas naming of its new aid agency as “International Development Cooperation Agency”rather than “Foreign Aid Agency” represents a dramatic shift in Chinas self-perception of its role in international development.5 The agency states that its purpose is to “give full play to the role of foreign aid as an important instrument of major-country diplomacy... reform and upgrade foreign aid methods to serve Chinas overall diplomatic agenda better and jointly build the Belt and Road Initiative.”6

White paper “Chinas International Development Cooperation in the New Era.” At the beginning of 2021， Chinas State Council Information Office issued the white paper Chinas International Development Cooperation in the New Era.7 The document is a systematic summary of Chinas foreign aid since the 18th CPC National Congress， and also a policy announcement of the transformation and upgrading of international development cooperation. The white paper systematically presents the core concepts， policy propositions， actions and prospects of Chinas international development cooperation in the new era， which is of epoch-making significance. As the first white paper on Chinas international development cooperation， this document has several distinctive features. First， it insists on South-South cooperation and the development philosophy of providing expertise for long-term benefits， and stresses sharing development wisdom， governance experience and appropriate technology with other developing countries to enhance their capacity for independent development. Second， it highlights the concept of international development cooperation that focuses on peoples livelihood and development， attaches great importance to synergizing development strategies of different countries， and gives priority to responding to the needs of economic and social development.8 Third， it keeps in mind both domestic and international imperatives， and pays attention to the alignment of their goals and the integration of their concepts. For example， the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind is consistent with the fivepronged development philosophy of innovation-driven， balanced， green， open and inclusive development， and well aligns with the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.9

The international development cooperation advocated by China is different from traditional development assistance. It embodies a new concept of development cooperation and strives to explore a new development cooperation model. Under the framework of South-South cooperation， Chinas international development cooperation takes common development as its fundamental goal， and the sharing of different countriesunique development experience as its means in a bid to enhance their capacity for independent development， explore development paths and models that are compatible with their national conditions， and build a new type of exchange and cooperation relations in the field of development. Therefore， mutual learning is an inherent requirement and the essence of Chinas international development cooperation： development cooperation is conducted on the basis of mutual learning， while mutual learning， as both the content and rational expression of development cooperation， constitutes a kind of cooperation in its most fundamental sense.

Necessity and Feasibility of China-LAC Mutual Learning

Latin America and the Caribbean is a region with the largest gathering of developing countries globally and a critical area for China to promote international development cooperation. Over the past two decades， China and LAC have been closely linked economically， and the two sides have formed an interdependent community with a shared future. In the postpandemic era， the two sides face similar development and governance challenges. To achieve common development， it is imperative to promote the coordination of development strategies in the spirit of extensive consultation， joint contribution， and shared benefits. The rich practices of development cooperation between China and LAC over the past decades and a series of policy documents and cooperation mechanisms guiding China and LAC in their development cooperation have all made it possible to promote mutual learning between the two sides at a higher level.

The necessity of mutual learning between China and LAC

Mutual learning is needed to upgrade and deepen China-LAC cooperation. Since the beginning of the new century， China-LAC relations have developed rapidly， and the areas of collaboration have been constantly broadened. In 2014， the two sides jointly announced the establishment of China-LAC comprehensive cooperative partnership. By 2021， ChinaLAC cooperation has covered almost all areas. However， though the scale of China-LAC cooperation is expanding rapidly， the depth of the cooperation has not kept pace with it， and there are even frequent frictions or disagreements in some areas. Much of this is due to a lack of policy communication. Through mutual learning， the two sides can enhance mutual understanding and common recognition of development. It may not necessarily lead to consensus， but they can seek common ground while shelving differences and make their cooperation more sustainable. Facing the demand for a higher quality of China-LAC cooperation， the two sides must strengthen mutual learning and improve responses to their mutual needs to truly accommodate Chinas successful experience to LACs development environment.

Mutual learning between China and LAC is also needed to address development issues and especially enhance LACs capacity for independent development. LAC is a developing region that has advanced the industrialization process at an earlier time. However， due to internal and external restrictions， LAC countries have neither completed their industrialization process nor optimize their economic structures， which makes development still a fundamental issue facing the region. As Chinas dialectical outlook on development shows， development is the basis and key to solving problems， and problems in the process of development must be solved through further development.10 Therefore， China has suggested that LACs problems should be solved and common prosperity be achieved by the regions own development. Chinas development cooperation， in whatever forms， can only be effective by enhancing LACs capacity for independent development. That is why Chinas new white paper on international development cooperation has included a separate chapter of“Supporting the Endogenous Growth of Developing Countries.” China will step up cooperation in technology and human resources development to support the capacity building of developing countries， especially in terms of governance and technology， by sharing its experience and presenting its proposals.11

The feasibility of mutual learning between China and LAC

Compared with Africa， LAC has a development level that is much closer to that of Chinas. Therefore， China-Africa cooperation is more aid-oriented， while China-LAC cooperation is more development-oriented. In this sense， there is more room for mutual learning between China and LAC.

First， existing cooperation documents provide policy feasibility for mutual learning between China and LAC. In 2016， the Chinese government issued its second white paper on Chinas LAC policy，12 in which “mutual learning in culture” was listed as one of the five pillars that support the comprehensive cooperative partnership between the two sides. The white paper particularly stresses the necessity to “draw lessons and wisdom from their historical traditions and development practices， and further strengthen exchanges of experience on governance and development， so as to boost common development.” The white paper upholds the principle of pursuing shared interests and win-win cooperation to help LAC countries improve their capacity for independent development. It advocates exchanges and cooperation in social development and strengthening policy dialogue， information sharing， experience exchange， capacity building and technical collaboration on environmental issues.

Second， the Belt and Road Initiative provides practical feasibility for mutual learning between China and LAC. The BRI is the most ambitious development cooperation initiative and the largest platform for development cooperation globally. Guided by the new concept of international development cooperation that combines the principle of extensive consultation， joint contribution and shared benefits and the idea of connectivity in the five priority areas of policy， infrastructure， trade， finance and people-to-people ties， the BRI has given a solid boost to development cooperation by implementing specific projects. LAC is a natural extension of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and an indispensable participant of the BRI. As stated in the particular statement on the BRI of the second ministerial meeting of China-CELAC （Community of Latin American and Caribbean States） Forum， the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by the Chinese government provides important opportunities for relevant countries to strengthen development cooperation.13

Third， Chinas rich development experience and practices serve as a knowledge base for mutual learning between China and LAC. Since the reform and opening-up in 1978， China has made remarkable achievements in economic and social development， accumulated rich development experience， and contributed the Chinese approach to solving global development problems with its independent and innovative development practices. China stands ready to share its new development knowledge that embodies the Chinese wisdom with the rest of the world， especially developing countries. Similarly， LAC countries have also accumulated some innovative practices and generated brilliant development ideas in their development process. For example， the Conditional Cash Transfer（CCT） program is an innovative poverty reduction practice widely praised by world organizations and many developing countries. Another example is the concept of “a better life，” which embodies the traditional development wisdom of LAC and is also worth learning in Chinas ecological civilization construction.

Fourth， the platforms for China-LAC communication， as represented by the annual dialogue between the civilizations of China and LAC， provide a favorable space for mutual learning between the two sides. Civilization is the concentration and core expression of development knowledge， and mutual learning is the highest goal and fundamental purpose of China-LAC civilization dialogue.14 It is for this reason that Chinas policy paper on Latin America and the Caribbean has advocated twice to “hold dialogues between civilizations” in 2016， repeatedly stressed that “exchanges and mutual learning， as well as carrying forward the friendship from generation to generation， is the solid foundation of China-LAC relations.”15 The term “dialogue” was mentioned in the ChinaCELAC Joint Action Plan for Cooperation in Key Areas （2022-2024） for more than ten times， which covers various areas including politics， security， trade， finance， scientific and technological innovation， environmental policy， culture， health， poverty reduction and sustainable development.

Objectives and Contents of China-LAC Mutual Learning

Promoting mutual learning between China and LAC is of great theoretical and practical significance for both China and LAC. Both China and LAC have accumulated rich development theories and practices in their respective development processes， during which there are both experience and lessons. Mutual learning is conducive to summarizing and refining knowledge on development and helps advance and expand South-South cooperation. From a practical point of view， mutual learning can enhance mutual understanding and trust between China and LAC and then develop consensus on development， coordinate development strategies and achieve common development. This is also what China and LAC strive to achieve in their mutual learning. Enhancing mutual understanding and trust is the primary goal of China-LAC mutual learning， while common development is the highest goal. Guided by these two objectives， mutual learning between China and LAC focuses more on exchanging， sharing， and disseminating governance experience， economic and social development experience， and knowledge itself.

Objectives of China-LAC mutual learning

Enhancing mutual understanding and trust is the primary objective of mutual learning between China and LAC. Although China and LAC share similar experiences and face similar tasks and challenges in the developing world， these commonalities cannot bridge the divide that may arise from differences. Based on their respective unique historical development processes， China and LAC can choose their political systems and development paths independently， and should respect each others choice of development. In the post-COVID era， both sides must respond to the problems and challenges that emerge from COVID-19 through continued growth. This requires the two sides to enhance mutual understanding and trust through further exchanges， seek common ground while shelving differences， build consensus on development， promote mutual learning through development cooperation， and elevate bilateral cooperation to a higher level and higher quality through mutual learning.

Common development is the ultimate goal of mutual learning between China and LAC. Mutual learning is not a goal but a means to promote social development and progress through experience exchange and knowledge sharing. Therefore， common development is the ultimate and fundamental goal of mutual learning between China and LAC. Common development is the essential purpose of President Xi Jinpings vision of a community with a shared future for mankind in response to the challenges in global development. In todays world， as countries are interdependent and closely interconnected， global problems need to be solved through collective wisdom and strength to promote common development. Different civilizations embody the wisdom and contributions of different ethnic groups， so we need to learn from each other to encourage the creative development of human civilization.16 A review of the Chinese and LAC civilizations shows that openness and inclusiveness are the standard features. It is through constant exchanges and mutual learning that the two civilizations get developed.

Contents of China-LAC mutual learning

To achieve common development， China and LAC need to learn from each other in many areas， focusing on three aspects： governance， development， and knowledge. Among them， the former two aspects belong to capacity building， while knowledge exchange and sharing play a fundamental role in supporting the implementation of capacity building.

Exchanges on governance experience. Exchanges on governance experience is a top-level design for enhancing LACs development capacity building in China-LAC mutual learning. In the third part of Chinas policy paper on Latin America and the Caribbean issued in 2016， it solemnly declared that “China respects the right of Latin American and Caribbean countries to choose their paths of development and is ready to work with Latin American and Caribbean countries to strengthen exchanges on governance experience， deepen strategic mutual trust.”17 In addition， “exchanges of experience on governance” is separately listed under cooperation in the political field. This fully shows that China attaches great importance to the critical role of exchanges on governance experience in “jointly promoting the modernization of governance system and governance capacity.”18

Exchanges on experience in social and economic development. Though mutual learning between China and LAC covers many fields， exchanges on experience in economic and social development remain a core area， which have permeated almost all aspects of China-LAC cooperation and have taken on increasingly prominent features： keeping abreast of the times， emphasizing scientific and technological innovation， and the power of technology to accelerate socio-economic development and promote substantial progress.

The most promising and fruitful area in exchanges and cooperation on scientific and technological innovation between China and LAC may be digital agriculture. At the second China-CELAC Agricultural Ministers Forum in February 2021， Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations （FAO） Qu Dongyu announced that， with the CELAC Pro Tempore Presidency of Mexico， FAO will design and set up the CELAC-China-FAO Digital Agriculture and Rural Development Facility with support from the FAO-China Fund for South-South Cooperation in a bid to “promote knowledge sharing and development exchanges based on Chinas advanced experience in the field of digital agriculture” and to “establish the technical and knowledge foundation for the promotion of digital solutions in the region.”19 It is believed that science and technology will lead the exchanges of economic and social development experience between China and LAC in the future， especially in promoting high-quality agricultural development and facilitating poverty alleviation through digital agriculture.

Knowledge exchanges and cooperation. As China and LAC are far away from each other and have different cultural backgrounds， their exchanges and cooperation start relatively late. Despite frequent economic and cultural exchanges over the past two decades， “we still only have abstract ideas rather than concrete knowledge， vague impressions rather than firsthand experience on LAC.”20 The “abstract ideas” and “vague impressions” apply the same to LACs perceptions of China. This is caused by two reasons. On the one hand， the overall quantity of knowledge production is still insufficient， and research results are still relatively lacking. On the whole， due to the lack of research strength， the overall knowledge， be it Chinese knowledge or LAC knowledge， is relatively limited.21 On the other hand， the effectiveness of knowledge production is also insufficient. Generally， Chinas LAC studies are relatively unbalanced in content.22

Lack of in-depth understanding often leads to misperception and even misunderstanding， disagreement and friction between China and LAC， which may affect the sustainability of China-LAC development cooperation. This knowledge deficit hinders LACs understanding of Chinas new development narrative and development discourse， as well as its ability to understand Chinas development story. More seriously， cultural differences and lack of communication make it challenging to form and expand consensus on development. As a result， some development cooperation projects between China and LAC have encountered difficulties and even triggered large-scale protests and conflicts， which negatively affects the image of the Chinese government and enterprises in LAC and beyond. In June 2020， the Coalition on Chinese Financing and Investments， Human Rights and Environment， launched by a network of six LAC environmental NGOs， jointly issued an open letter to the Chinese government， accusing China of lacking adequate supervision over 18 cooperative projects in which it had participated， which adversely affected the survival and development of local communities.

Given this， mutual learning between China and LAC should be regarded as core content of their civilization dialogue mechanisms in the future， with more diversified themes and participants. The two sides can build smooth communication channels by extensively involving Chinese companies， LAC non-governmental organizations， Chinese and LAC think tanks， media， local governments， and even the local community in the dialogues. In this way， knowledge-based exchanges and sharing can provide soft support for the sustainability of China-LAC development cooperation.

Paths to Promoting China-LAC Mutual Learning

An effective implementation path is necessary to promote mutual learning between China and LAC， and the white paper Chinas International Development Cooperation in the New Era has identified the synergy of ideas， platforms and goals as a feasible approach. The vision of a community with a shared future for mankind is the theoretical guidance for China and LAC to learn from each other in development， the BRI is the platform for China and LAC to learn from each other in action， and the fundamental goal of mutual learning between China and LAC is totally in line with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The idea of China-LAC community with a shared future as the theoretical path

The first part of Chinas International Development Cooperation in the New Era solemnly declares， “promoting a global community with a shared future is the mission of Chinas international development cooperation.”23 The vision of a community with a shared future for mankind comes from the fact that countries are increasingly interconnected and interdependent. A beggarthy-neighbor approach will only hurt others and ultimately hurt oneself， while promoting development through development to advance common prosperity is the fundamental solution to global development challenges and the common aspiration of mankind. Chinas international development cooperation is guided by the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind. It also stems from the traditional Chinese wisdom of datong （Great Harmony） and the underlying guideline that pursues the greater good and shared interests with the former as the priority. In fact， the rapid development of China-LAC development cooperation is made possible by the guidance of the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind. Back in 2014， when President Xi Jinping met with leaders of LAC countries， he called for the building of a community with a shared future and a partnership of comprehensive cooperation featuring equality， mutual benefit and common development between China and LAC， thus fostering a new five-in-one pattern of China-LAC relations featuring sincerity and mutual trust in politics， winwin cooperation in economy and trade， mutual learning in culture and peopleto-people exchanges， close coordination in international affairs， and mutual reinforcement in overall cooperation and bilateral relations.24 On this basis， the strategic blueprint of China-LAC cooperation has been launched and specific plans been formulated. The China-Latin American and Caribbean Countries Cooperation Plan （2015-2019） and the Joint Action Plan of ChinaCELAC Cooperation （Priority Areas） （2019-2021） have been effectively linked up. In the future， the further development of China-LAC cooperation needs to be steadily realized through mutual learning under the guidance of the vision of a community with a shared future， and the two sides should seek wisdom and knowledge to promote and realize common development from each others development experience and practices.

The Belt and Road Initiative as the practical path

Chinas international development cooperation is of great significance to Chinas diplomacy， especially in serving the overall layout of Chinas diplomacy and the Belt and Road Initiative.25 As the white paper Chinas International Development Cooperation in the New Era stated， “the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road are significant public goods China offers to the whole world and a major platform for international development cooperation.”26 The BRI will promote Chinas opening-up to a deeper and higher level while helping improve the development environment of developing countries and foster new engines for their economic growth. Therefore， in essence， the BRI is oriented by development cooperation.27 It translates the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind into action. It builds a new platform for development cooperation with infrastructure projects， investment， financing platforms and industrial parks that will impact the world. LAC is an indispensable participant in the BRI. Since the first Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation was held in 2017， LAC countries have responded positively to the initiative to share the development opportunities. By 2021， 19 LAC countries have joined the BRI， and it is believed that more countries in the region will join China-LAC development cooperation in the future.

Implementing the UN 2030 Agenda as the goal

Promoting the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is an essential direction of Chinas international development cooperation， which goes hand in hand with the fundamental goal of achieving common development through mutual learning between China and LAC. As a practical platform for China and LAC to learn from each other in action， the BRI is highly compatible with the 2030 Agenda in terms of goals and concepts. To achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals， China and LAC share responsibilities and broad space for cooperation.28 As Chinas 2016 policy paper on Latin America and the Caribbean emphasized，“China is ready to work with Latin American and Caribbean countries to promote global， win-win cooperation in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit.”29 Poverty eradication in all its forms is a top goal of the 2030 Agenda. Full attention has been given to the same goal in the Joint Action Plan of China-CELAC Cooperation （Priority Areas） （2019-2021）： support LAC countries in implementing the 2030 Agenda， strengthen high-level dialogue and successful practice exchanges on poverty reduction and sustainable development， discuss the holding of a forum on social development and poverty reduction between China and LAC， and jointly establish a new type of international exchange and cooperation on hunger and poverty eradication.30 In addition， the 2030 Agenda emphasizes scientific and technological innovation to support sustainable development， and China also regards innovation as the primary driving force for development. In the future， exchanges and cooperation in scientific and technological innovation will become a new driving force for mutual learning between China and LAC and a powerful engine for common development.

Promoting a New Type of China-LAC Exchange and Cooperation

In the face of common challenges in the post-pandemic era， China and LAC should regard their cooperative response to the pandemic as an opportunity，take the newly released white paper Chinas International Development Cooperation in the New Era as policy and action guidance， and enhance their mutual learning as means to deepen development cooperation and build a new type of exchange and cooperative relations.

This new type of exchange and cooperation has distinctive features. First， it goes beyond people-to-people exchanges in the general sense. Instead of simply seeking to enhance people-to-people ties， it aims to achieve common development and exchange successful development practices and governance experience. This new type of exchange and cooperation is of essential significance to civilization dialogues between China and LAC. Second， it turns ideas into actions， promotes development cooperation through mutual learning， and further enhances mutual learning in the process of development cooperation. In this way， spiritual interaction and material development are connected and unified in an organized manner. Third， guided by the philosophy of providing expertise for long-term benefits and with a focus on capacity building， China strives to help LAC countries enhance their capacity for independent development with Chinas experience and practices and explore a development path and model suitable to their national conditions.

However， building the new exchange and cooperative relations is a brand-new undertaking full of challenges. First， there is no existing successful formula to follow. Compared with the research on development cooperation between China and Africa， and even between China and Southeast Asia， relevant studies on development cooperation between China and LAC are lagging behind comparatively. This has brought difficulties to the advancement of China-LAC mutual learning to a considerable extent. Second， there is a lack of research on the applicability of Chinas development experience to LAC. With only a superficial knowledge of LACs development environment and concepts， it is hard for the two sides to reach consensus on this front. Third， the changing external public opinion environment has brought a lot of interference to the construction of the new exchange and cooperative relations. Chinese enterprises are critical players in translating the idea of mutual learning into action， and the cooperative projects are undoubtedly the testing ground of Chinas experience. Once the projects go wrong， public opinion may question the Chinese model and even the Chinese system.

Based on the above analysis， it is suggested that we focus on the following four aspects as a preliminary effort to promote the construction of a new type of exchange and cooperation between China and LAC.

First， promoting the implementation of China-LAC knowledge exchange and cooperation program with development knowledge as its core. As the successful practices of developed countries have shown， focusing on and strengthening research funding for researchers in developing countries is an important part of development cooperation.31 China can support and guide scholars on both sides to conduct comparative research on ChinaLAC development experience and practices， especially empirical research based on fieldwork. China can also help cultivate and expand the expert teams on development studies from both sides， and continue to synergize their research through communication of relevant information， thus intensifying the production and dissemination of knowledge about China and LAC.

Second， identifying and prioritizing critical areas for mutual learning. As China-LAC development cooperation covers a wide range of fields， it is necessary to identify priority areas to make cooperative programs play their exemplary role. In the initial stage， it is advisable to select areas that the two sides are most likely to agree on， with the least ideological or political overtones and the least potential for disagreement. Such areas include scientific and technological innovation， poverty reduction， agriculture（digital agriculture in particular）， environmental and ecological protection， and clean energy.

Third， advancing the formation of a diversified and new type of partners for exchange and cooperation. The mutual learning between China and LAC cannot be achieved without diverse participants， whether in terms of exchanges and interactions or cooperation and implementation. Governments， think tanks， non-governmental organizations， media， and especially enterprises are all active players in promoting this new type of exchange and cooperative relations. What needs to be pointed out， in particular， is that mutual learning between local governments in the field of development and governance has become increasingly dynamic and frequent.32

Fourth， speeding up the establishment of a dialogue mechanism between Chinese and LAC civilizations， with mutual learning as the core content of such dialogue. In the current China-LAC cooperation， there is no platform or mechanism for the two sides to conduct dialogues on concepts and institutions. A feasible choice is to rely on the dialogue between civilizations of China and LAC， which has been held for three times， by expanding the participants and improving the level and contents of the dialogue， to promote exchanges， sharing， communication and practice with development experience and knowledge as the core content. In particular， the two sides should strengthen exchanges and mutual learning in green development and ecological civilization.

In terms of the tradition and philosophy of green development， China and LAC share many similarities despite their distinct cultural characteristics. For China， it should enhance dialogues on ecological civilization with LAC while respecting and understanding the environment and development philosophies of LAC. On the one hand， it is conducive for Chinese enterprises to promote cooperative programs responsibly and sustainably once they deeply understand LACs development philosophy and cultural continuity. On the other hand， it is helpful to spread Chinas vision of ecological civilization， facilitate the practice of a green Belt and Road in LAC and shape the image of “green China” in the region.

1 Qin Sheng and Shen Minghui， “The Belt and Road Initiative and the Reform of International Development Cooperation Governance System，” New Vision， No.6， 2020， p.59.

2 “Towards Win-Win Partnership for Sustainable Development—Remarks at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit，” People.cn， September 26， 2015， http：//politics.people.com. cn/n/2015/0927/c1024-27638350.html.； “The Launch of Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development，” Peking University， April 29， 2016， http：//pkunews.pku.edu.cn/xwzh/2016-04/29/ content_293608.htm.

3 Center for International Knowledge on Development， http：//www.cikd.org/chinese/aboutus.

4 Liu Jing， “A New Paradigm to Reshape International Development Cooperation under the Dilemma of Global Aid Governance，” Journal of International Relations， No.4， 2017， p.46.

5 Marina Rudyak， “China Institutional Development Cooperation Agency： Past and Present，” September 2， 2019， https：//carnegietsinghua.org/2019/09/02/zh-pub-79860.

6 “Continuing the Reform of Party and Government Institutions，” Xinhua， March 21， 2018， http：//www. xinhuanet.com/politics/2018-03/21/c_1122570517.htm.

7 “Chinas International Development Cooperation in the New Era，” January 10， 2021， http：//www.scio. gov.cn/ztk/dtzt/44689/44717/index.htm.

8 “The White Paper on Chinas International Development Cooperation in the New Era，” January 10， 2021， http：//www.cidca.gov.cn/2021-01/10/c_1210973107.htm.

9 Xu Xiuli， “What Is New about International Development Cooperation，” Global Times， January 11， 2021， https：//opinion.huanqiu.com/article/41Sv8xHiYGu.

10 Yang Baorong， “China-Africa People-to-People Exchanges under the Belt and Road Initiative，” West Asia and Africa， No. 2， 2020， p.36.

11 “Chinas International Development Cooperation in the New Era，” January 10， 2021， http：//www.scio. gov.cn/ztk/dtzt/44689/44717/index.htm.

12 “Chinas Policy Paper on Latin America and the Caribbean，” November 24， 2016， http：//english.www. gov.cn/archive/white_paper/2016/11/24/content_281475499069158.htm.

13 “Santiago Declaration of the Second Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC Forum，” China-CELAC Forum， February 2， 2018， http：//www.chinacelacforum.org/chn/zywj/t1531606.htm.

14 Guo Cunhai， “Dialogue Between Chinese and LAC Civilizations： Significance， Goals， Paths and Mechanisms，” Journal of Latin American Studies， No.4， 2018， p.8.

15 “Chinas Policy Paper on Latin America and the Caribbean，” November 24， 2016.

16 “Xi Jinpings Speech at the Peruvian Congress，” Xinhua， November 22， 2016， http：//www.xinhuanet. com/politics/2016-11/22/c_1119962937.htm.

17 “Chinas Policy Paper on Latin America and the Caribbean，” November 24， 2016， http：//english.www. gov.cn/archive/white_paper/2016/11/24/content_281475499069158.htm.

18 “Chinas Policy Paper on Latin America and the Caribbean，” November 24， 2016.

19 “A Statement by FAO Director-General QU Dongyu，” Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations， February 25， 2021， https：//www.fao.org/director-general/speeches/detail/en/c/1377353.

20 Leslie Bethell， The Cambridge History of Latin America， Vol.1， Beijing： Economy and Management Publishing House， 1995， p.1.

21 Guo Cunhai， Zhang Yichuan， Zhou Xiaoyuan， Xiao Hong et al.， “The Development Trend of Latin American Studies in China： Analysis Based on CNKI Literature Big Data （1979-2019），” China Social Science Review， No.3， 2020， p.127.

22 Guo Cunhai， “70 Years of Chinas Latin American Research： Institutional Development and Challenges of Transformation，” Journal of Latin American Studies， No.4， 2019， p.23.

23 “Chinas International Development Cooperation in the New Era，” January 10， 2021.

24 “Build a Community of Shared Destiny for Common Progress： Keynote Speech by H.E. Xi Jinping at China-Latin American and Caribbean Countries Leaders Meeting，” July 19， 2014， https：//www.fmprc.gov. cn/mfa_eng/wjdt_665385/zyjh_665391/201408/t20140822_678199.html.

25 “Continuing the Reform of Party and Government Institutions，” Xinhua， March 21， 2018， http：//www. xinhuanet.com/politics/2018-03/21/c_1122570517.htm.

26 “Chinas International Development Cooperation in the New Era，” January 10， 2021.

27 Zhang Yunling， “The Belt and Road Initiative Promotes a New Type of Development Cooperation，”Peoples Daily， May 15， 2017.

28 Zhu Xufeng and Li Yuanbo， “Progress of Sustainable Development in Latin America and the Caribbean and Prospects for Cooperation with China，” Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences， No.1， 2018， p.49.

29 “Chinas Policy Paper on Latin America and the Caribbean，” November 24， 2016， https：//www.fmprc. gov.cn/web/ziliao_674904/tytj_674911/zcwj_674915/t1418250.shtml.

30 “The 2019-2021 Joint Action Plan of China-CELAC Cooperation （Priority Areas），” February 2， 2018， https：//www.fmprc.gov.cn/web/ziliao_674904/1179_674909/t1531472.shtml.

31 Wang Yongjie， “Foreign Development Assistance in the New Era： Canadas Practice and Its Enlightenment to China，” Development Research， No.1， 2018， p.18.

32 Margaret Myers， “Going Local： An Assessment of Chinas Administrative-Level Activity in Latin America and the Caribbean，” December 2020， p.3， www.thedialogue.org/analysis/chinas-local-levelactivity-in-latin-america-and-the-caribbean.