ADecadeofCloserCommunicationwiththeWorld-ACentralAmericanPerspective_GuangmingOnlineMarvelouseconomicandsocialdevelopmenthasbeenachievedoverthepastdecadeinChina,whosefundamentalgoalliesinrealizingnationalprosperityandwealthandthegreatrejuvenationoftheChinesenation.Lookingbackonthisdecade,China’sforeignpolicynotonlyupholdsthebasicprincipleofmaintainingworldpeace,butalsostronglysupportsglobalgovernance,themultilateraltradingsystemandeconomicglobalization.ThepastdecadehasseengrowingtiesbetweenChinaandtheworld.FromtheCentralAmericanperspective,thoughthousandsofmilesapart,wecouldfeelstronglythegrowingcooperationandtieswithChina.TheCommunistPartyofChinacelebrateditscentennialin2021.ItwasalsoaveryimportantyearforCentralAmericancountries,celebratingboththe200thanniversaryofindependenceandthe30thanniversaryoftheCentralAmericanIntegrationSystem(SICA).Fordevelopingcountries,theimportanceofinternationaleconomicrelationsgoesfarbeyonddiplomaticobjectivesinthetraditionalsense.ItistruethattheeconomiesofCentralAmericancountriesarehighlydependentonUStradeandinvestment,butfortunately,the30-yearhistoryofSICAhascoincidedwithaglobaleconomycharacterizedbytheriseofChinainamultipolarworld.Overthepastdecade,economicandtraderelationsbetweenCentralAmericancountriesandChinahavegrownrapidly,resultinginacloserbondthaneverbefore.InDecember1985,NicaraguabecamethefirstCentralAmericancountrytoestablishdiplomaticrelationswiththePeople’sRepublicofChina.Aftertheright-wingpartytookpowerinNicaraguain1990,itsrelationshipwithTaiwanwasresumed,henceChinaterminateditsdiplomatictieswithNicaragua.Withthechanginginternationallandscape,theNicaraguangovernmentmadeamajorpoliticaldecisioninDecember2021torestorediplomaticrelationswiththePeople’sRepublicofChina,recognizingthatthereisonlyoneChinaintheworld,thatthegovernmentofthePeople’sRepublicofChinaisthesolelegitimategovernmentrepresentingallofChina,andthatTaiwanisaninseparablepartofChina.In2007,CostaRicaestablisheddiplomaticrelationswiththePeople’sRepublicofChina,alandmarkeventinthehistoryofCostaRicaafterwhichthecountrywasintegratedintotheworldeconomyanditsinternationalstatuswasgreatlyenhanced.AsthethenPresidentofCostaRica,AriasSánchez,said,thesupportforthe“OneChina”principlewasarationaldiplomaticdecisionnotmotivatedbyshort-termeconomicinterestsorideologicalinfluences.Sincethe1990safterCostaRicabecamethefirstCentralAmericancountrytorecognizethegovernmentofthePeople’sRepublicofChinaasthesolelegitimategovernmentrepresentingallofChina,Panama,theDominicanRepublicandElSalvadorhavealsoconsolidatedtheirrelationswithChina,establishingdiplomaticrelationswithChinainJune2017,May2018andAugust2018,respectively.TheseinitiativesreflectthestrongwilloftheregiontostrengthenexchangeswithChinaanddeepeningcooperationinpolitical,economicandtradedimensions.ItalsoshowsthatsomedevelopingcountriesthathavelongbeendependentontheUSaremakingnewchoicesinthenewinternationallandscape.Inthissense,thediplomaticchoicesofCentralAmericancountrieshaveprovidedanewangleforunderstandingChina’srelationswiththeworld.TheeconomicandtraderelationsbetweenCentralAmericancountriesandChinapredatetheirdiplomaticrelations.Inthe1990s,countriessuchasPanamaandtheDominicanRepublicsignedaseriesofagreementswithChinatosetuptradedevelopmentoffices,effectivelypromotingbilateralinvestment,tradeandtourism.Thepastdecadehasseenaperiodofrapiddevelopmentofsuchrelations.InAugust2011,thefreetradeagreementsignedbetweenCostaRicaandChinaofficiallyenteredintoforce.Withinthisframework,remarkableachievementshavebeenmadeformorethanadecade,andinadditiontotraditionaleconomicandtradeexchanges,bothsideshavestrengthenedcooperationintechnologytransfer,educationalserviceandsustainabledevelopment.Panama,withitscanal,enjoysuniqueconditionsandisthereforetheCentralAmericancountrythatreceivesthemostChineseinvestments.AccordingtoPanama’sstatisticsonfreighttraffic,ChinahasbecomethesecondlargestcustomerofthePanamaCanalaftertheUS.CountriessuchasElSalvadorandGuatemalaarealsobecomingmoreactiveintheireconomicandtradeinteractionswithChina,andtheirexportstoChinahavebeenrisinginrecentyears.AccordingtoSICA,Chinaisoneofthemostimportantexportdestinations,accountingformorethan20%ofSICA’sexports;ChinaisalsooneofthemostimportantsourcesofimportsforCentralAmerica,with58%ofCentralAmericanpurchasesinAsiacomingfromChina.ForallLatinAmericanandCaribbeancountries,especiallyforCentralAmerica,therisingprotectionismintheUSposesaseriousthreattoeconomicgrowthandnationaldevelopment.Fortunately,theinitiativesandcooperationprogramspursuedbyChinaofferviableoptionsfortradediversification.InternationaltradeisanimportantpillaroftheCentralAmericaneconomy,yetthelackofinvestmentinqualityinfrastructureseverelylimitsitsintegrationintoglobalsupplyandvaluechains.The“BeltandRoadInitiative”isaninternationalprojectwithinfrastructuredevelopmentasoneofitspriorities,offeringgreatopportunitiesforsustainableinfrastructureinvestmentandeconomicgrowthinCentralAmerica.Currently,Panama,CostaRica,ElSalvador,DominicanRepublicandNicaraguahaveallsignedcooperationagreementswithChinatojointlybuildthe“BeltandRoadInitiative”.ThecomplementarityintradebetweenCentralAmericaandChinaprovidesspaceandvitalityforbilateralcooperation.Inaddition,CentralAmericahasthegeographicaladvantageofglobaltradeandcanbecomenotonlyalogisticsandtradehubbetweenChinaandtheentireLatinAmericanandCaribbeanregion,butalsowiththeworld,bringingtheAmericasclosertotheAsia-Pacificregion.Overthepastdecade,indicatorsatbotheconomicandpoliticallevelshaveshownthatChina’sgrowingtieswithCentralAmericaanditsexpandingpracticalcooperationhaveresultedinadynamicandcomplementarytraderelationship.The20thNationalCongressoftheCPCisjustaroundthecorner,thismeetingwillnotonlybesignificantforChinabutalsohavefar-reachingimplicationsfortheworld.WeseeitasanopportunitytofurtherenhancefriendshipandstrengthenbilateralrelationswithChina.Welookforwardtothecontinueddeepeningofpracticalcooperationsowecanjointlypromoteeconomicandsocialdevelopmentandbuildabettercommunityofsharedfutureformankind.ContributedbySergioRiveroSoto(CostaRica),DirectoroftheDepartmentofInternationalCooperationandResearch,LatinAmericanFacultyofSocialSciences(FLACSO)Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.