The 2024 Forum on Dialogue between the Civilizations of China and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) was held on Wednesday in Lima, Peru, gathering over 150 representatives, including government officials, scholars, and business leaders from China and more than 10 Latin American countries.

The event focused on the theme "Civilizational Heritage and Modern Development," exploring ways to deepen cultural exchange, collaboration, and joint modernization efforts between China and LAC.

Peru's Secretary of the Secretariat of Government and Digital Transformation Cesar Vilchez Inga highlighted the longstanding ties between Peru and China which enjoy broad opportunities for collaboration in digital transformation, with the Chancay Port project serving as a model.

Rebecca Lemos Igreja, secretary-general of the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences, praised the partnership between Latin America and China as a model for cross-civilizational dialogue through research and knowledge exchange.

In a video address, Rolando Gonzalez, president of the Latin American and Caribbean Parliament (Parlatino), emphasized that modernization should honor each country's unique culture, identity, and heritage.

The Chinese side called for joint efforts to preserve cultural heritage while embracing innovation and said that China and Latin America should pursue high-quality partnerships that benefit broader populations.

The forum's opening ceremony also saw the launch of the "Academic Partnership Network for Global Civilization Dialogue," proposed by the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies alongside 53 institutions, including the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences.

The 2024 China-LAC dialogue between civilizations was guided by China's State Council Information Office, Peru's Ministry of Culture, and the Latin American and Caribbean Parliament (Parlatino).