THE PRIME Minister of The Bahamas, Philip “Brave” Davis, returns from the seventh summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) today.

The event was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina - and also featured a video address from President Xi Jinping, of China, who said Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries are important members of the developing world, who take an active part in global governance and make important contributions to it.

He hailed CELAC as an indispensable driving force behind global South-South co-operation, and said it played an important role in safeguarding regional peace, promoting common development and advancing regional integration.

President Xi Jinping said China always supports the regional integration process of Latin America and the Caribbean.

He added: “We highly value our relations with CELAC, and take CELAC as our key partner in enhancing solidarity among developing countries and furthering South-South cooperation. That is why China has been working with LAC countries to steadily strengthen the China-CELAC Forum and take the China-LAC relationship into a new era characterised by equality, mutual benefit, innovation, openness and benefits for the people.

“More and more countries in the region have engaged in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with China, supported and participated in the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, and are working with China in building a China-LAC community with a shared future.”

He said the world is in a new period of turbulence and transformation, but said China is ready to continue working with LAC countries to help each other and make progress together, and advocate “peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom” — the common values of mankind.

He said China was ready to join hands with LAC countries to promote world peace and development, build a community with a shared future for mankind, and open up an even brighter future for the world.

At the event, Mr Davis also warned of the dangers of climate change to the world - and stressed the challenges posed by the current political instability in Haiti.