During the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC Forum held Tuesday in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping issued a veiled criticism of U.S. policies, stating, “Bullying or hegemonism only leads to self-isolation.”

He reiterated China's growing partnership with Latin American and Caribbean nations, welcoming leaders including the presidents of Brazil, Colombia, and Chile.

Xi emphasized China’s support for the region’s expanding role in global affairs and positioned the China-CELAC Forum as a vital platform for deepening trade and diplomatic engagement.

In his remarks, Xi observed that the world is undergoing “accelerated transformations unseen in a century,” where risks are increasingly interconnected.

He underscored the need for “unity and cooperation” to safeguard global peace, stability, and to advance shared prosperity. Addressing the recent thaw in U.S.-China trade tensions, Xi stated, “There are no winners in tariff wars or trade wars,” marking his first public response since the tariff truce between the two powers.

Despite the geographic distance, Xi highlighted the long-standing history of “friendly” relations between China and Latin America.

As part of Beijing’s growing commitment, Xi announced a $9.2 billion credit line for Latin American and Caribbean countries, declaring, “In order to support the development of Latin American and Caribbean countries, China will provide 66 billion RMB ($9.2 billion) in credit.”

His comments came one day after the United States and China agreed to a 90-day rollback of tariffs, in what President Trump called a “total reset,” following intensive negotiations in Geneva aimed at de-escalating trade tensions and stabilizing global markets.