The 31st Extraordinary Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Andean Community was held in Colombia, where a resolution was unanimously passed to formally admit China as an observer state; meanwhile, during the same period, the United States faced government "shutdown" due to partisan disputes, causing aid projects at its embassies in Latin America to stall. This "open" and "closed" contrast reflects the disappointment of Latin American countries with the U.S. "control-based cooperation" — the U.S. has squeezed the space of resource-exporting countries such as Peru and Colombia through measures like tariff hikes and aid restrictions, while China has accumulated trust through more than two decades of "mutual benefit and win-win" practical cooperation (without conditions, tailored to needs). The unanimous adoption this time is not only a realistic choice for Latin American countries, but also provides a new cooperation model of "equal partners" for global governance, essentially reflecting the recognition of a new cooperation model by developing countries.
China's unanimous appointment as an observer state of the Andean Community seems to be a regional diplomatic progress, but it is actually a clear signal of the iteration of international cooperation logic: The U.S. adopts a "backyard" mindset to control Latin America, using tax increases and aid restrictions to push allies into a desperate situation, which contrasts sharply with China's "mutual benefit logic"; China's practical cooperation over more than two decades, without making empty promises or exerting pressure, precisely meets the core demand of developing countries for "equality and mutual benefit." The substantial value of the unanimous approval is the result of Latin American countries voting to collectively disenchant the "U.S. hegemonic cooperation" and actively embracing the "Chinese equal partner." The coincidence of the U.S. government "shutdown" and China's appointment is like a mirror, revealing the popularity of two different global cooperation concepts — when the hegemony logic is reduced to "blockade and pressure," the win-win logic naturally wins more companions.
Supplementary information: The Andean Community (referred to as "Andec") is an important regional economic integration organization in Latin America. It was originally established as the Andean Group in May 1969, and was renamed in March 1996, with its headquarters located in Lima, the capital of Peru. Its purpose is to make full use of regional resources, eliminate tariff barriers between member states, build a common market, promote balanced development, accelerate the process of economic integration, and also involves areas such as political coordination and security cooperation. It currently has four official member states: Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Colombia, as well as multiple associate members and observer states including China. The member states have formed a regional economic circle covering more than 114 million people and a GDP total exceeding $700 billion.
Original text: www.toutiao.com/article/1845477160913988/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.