President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that China's relationship with Latin American and Caribbean countries has entered a new phase characterized by equality, mutual benefit, innovation, openness and more benefits for the people, voicing Beijing's readiness to make new progress in building a China-LAC community with a shared future.

Xi made the remarks in a congratulatory message sent to the ninth summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, or CELAC, which opened on Wednesday in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras.

At a time when the world is undergoing accelerated changes not seen in a century, the Global South, including China as well as Latin American and Caribbean countries, is growing with a strong momentum, he said.

Xi hailed CELAC's commitment to independence, self-reliance and strength through unity, saying that it has played an important role in safeguarding regional peace and stability, promoting development and cooperation, and advancing regional integration.

The Chinese president sincerely wished Latin American and Caribbean countries and their peoples greater achievements on the path to national development and rejuvenation, in order to make greater contributions to the solidarity and cooperation of the Global South.

Xi said that China-LAC relations have withstood the test of international turbulence, and the two sides have kept deepening political mutual trust, expanding practical cooperation and enhancing people-to-people exchanges, delivering benefits to both peoples and setting an example for South-South cooperation.

As China will host the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC Forum in Beijing this year, Xi said all CELAC member states are welcome to gather in China to discuss future development and cooperation and contribute wisdom and strength to addressing global challenges, driving reform in global governance, and safeguarding world peace and stability.

Since the China-CELAC Forum was launched during Xi's visit to the region in 2014, the forum has become an important platform for China and Latin American and Caribbean countries to enhance political mutual trust, align development strategies and bring their peoples closer, playing a positive role in taking China-LAC relations to a new phase.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Thursday that the ministerial meeting, which will be held amid increasing global uncertainty, instability and unpredictability, will send a stronger message of the Global South seeking development through solidarity as well as provide greater stability and positive energy to the turbulent world.