CPC’s Relations with Political Parties in Latin America

By WU JU

LATIN America and the Caribbean (Latin America in short hereafter) is one of the first regions in the developing world to have institutionlized party politics. Alongside their political, economic and social development in the last 30 years, most Latin American countries have seen their democracy grow stronger and party politics more dynamic. Today, there are nearly 100 political parties playing significant parts in the domestic politics and foreign relations of the region.

Hu Jintao, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, meets on September 26, 1997 with a Venezuelan Social Christian Party delegation.

Development

The Communist Party of China (CPC) began to develop relations with mainly communist political parties in Latin American countries in the 1950s. As the Sino-Soviet split became more pronounced, divergence between the CPC and the communist parties of Latin America increased and bilateral exchanges trailed off, in some cases petering out completely.

After the Third Plenary Session of the CPC Eleventh Central Committee in 1978, the Party made new adjustments to its guiding theory and principles on foreign affairs, which ushered its relations with political parties in Latin America into a new, more optimistic era. Following the principles of independence, complete equality, mutual respect and non-interference in one another’s internal affairs, the CPC broke the convention of communicating mainly with communist parties and extended the scope of its communication to nationalistic and democratic parties in Latin America.

In March 1979, a CPC delegation was invited to the 50th anniversary of Mexico’s Institutional Revolutionary Party, marking the beginning of friendly exchanges with non-communist parties in Latin America. Meanwhile, its communications with Latin American communist parties that had been broken off for decades were resumed. Further changes occurred in the 1980s, when the CPC established contact with some right-wing and center-right parties such as the Colombian Conservative Party. Now the CPC is engaged in exchanges with ruling parties, parties in coalitions, and influential opposition parties in a bid to consolidate and expand the scope of its exchanges.

Since the beginning of the new century, the CPC has been actively developing its relations with various political parties in Latin America in order to “develop new types of party exchange and cooperative relations that will help promote state relations with willing political parties of foreign countries.” As a result, its contacts and exchanges with Latin American political parties are no longer peripheral and have developed substantial importance.

As of now, the CPC is involved in ongoing and frequent friendly exchanges with 90-plus political parties and organizations in more than 30 countries in the region. It has kept in contact with such regional political party organizations as the Permanent Conference of Political Parties of Latin America and the Caribbean, the Socialist International Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Christian Democrat Organization of America. Party relations between China and Latin America have continued to grow in both width and depth.

Characteristics

Within a little more than half a century, the CPC has initiated and developed its relations with political parties in Latin America, and such relationships share several major characteristics.

One is the broadening scope of exchanges and diversity of the parties involved. The number of political parties in Latin America involved in exchanges with the CPC has now increased to more than 90, having risen from just 30 in the 1970s and 60 in the 1980s. The range of these parties has also expanded from the original communist organizations before China’s reform and opening-up to ruling parties, parties in joint government and influential opposition parties in more than 30 countries in the region, including major political parties in 12 countries that have no diplomatic relations with China.

Exchanges with political parties are also happening in increasingly diverse forms. They have evolved from one-way to reciprocal exchanges in which the CPC both welcomes visiting guests and sends delegations overseas. In the past, the CPC usually played host, inviting delegations of political parties in Latin America to attend its national congresses or their leaders to visit China. Today, CPC representatives often show up as guests in various parts of Latin America for conferences and important events hosted by local and regional political parties and organizations. Party contacts have also extended from the top level downward to functionary departments, local branches, and research institutions. Exchanges of working groups and seminars on specific topics are also common.

As the scope of contact broadens, their content has become more substential. Nowadays, exchanges are no longer limited to ceremonial friendship and the sharing of revolutionary anecdotes. Besides delving into party relations, the two sides also exchange opinions on international, regional and bilateral issues of common interest and exchange management and governance experiences. By taking advantage of party exchanges, the CPC and Latin American parties have also furthered country-to-country economic and trade cooperation and facilitated practical solutions to problems in their bilateral relations. They keep each other informed of the other’s domestic situation and important domestic and foreign policies, while sharing studies on theories and strategies of national development.

Significance

Countries in Latin America make up an important part of the developing world and have great importance in China’s foreign relations. Although China’s relationships with Latin American political parties predate its diplomatic relations with their countries, for a long time party relations had little influence on the development of state relations in the region due to ideological differences. Following changes in its foreign policy since China’s reform and opening-up, the CPC has actively conducted well-oriented and diversified exchange programs with Latin American political parties to facilitate the growth of their state relations, in view of the prevalence of political parties and popularity of the multiple-party political system in Latin American countries and the fact that their party leaders play significant roles in state affairs. This new approach has enhanced China’s state relations with Latin American countries to the benefit of its reform and opening-up program and socialist modernization.

Successful party exchanges have enhanced mutual understanding and friendship and created a favorable political environment for cooperation between the countries involved. Through party exchanges, top leaders of China and Latin American countries communicate directly on international and regional issues of common concern as well as on bilateral relations from a strategic and political perspective. The result is mutually beneficial cooperation in such fields as politics, economy, culture and science.

Exchanges also act as important learning resources, as either side can draw from the other’s experience and expertise on managing state affairs. Both belonging to the developing world, China and Latin American countries value the other’s experience and lessons, as they are often faced with the same or similar problems in their shared goal of developing their economies and improving the lives of their peoples. At present, China and Latin American countries are facing opportunities and challenges arising along the course of economic globalization and the increasing multi-polarity of the world. Experience sharing and joint theoretical efforts in search of a suitable development road and mode have provided intelligent support for China’s economic and social development and party building in the present era.

Economic issues are also high on the agendas of the CPC and Latin American political parties, in the hope of promoting economic exchanges and thus contributing towards economic development and the improvement of people’s livelihood. Political and economic relations are closely intertwined, and they form a reciprocal cycle if well managed. This is a consensus among political parties throughout the world. Party exchanges provide a platform for countries to deepen their economic relations and promote mutually beneficial cooperation. China is working actively to bring economic factors into political exchanges and promote economic and trade cooperations. For example, during their visits to Latin American countries, leaders from the CPC Central Committee and local committees have initiated many economic cooperation programs while discussing problems embedded in bilateral relations and pushing the development of political ties with their host countries.

In addition, party exchanges have also promoted people-to-people exchanges. Relations between China and Latin America are entering a new era of development. To help the world better understand modern China is currently a major task for the CPC’s international activities. Political parties usually have wide connections with labor unions, youth and women’s organizations, non-governmental organizations, research institutions and media agencies. Political party exchanges can push forward communication and cooperation among the above-mentioned organizations in China and Latin America, and establish platforms for bilateral cooperation and mutual understanding. In this way a new pattern will take shape in China’s diplomacy, featuring effective combination of communication between the parties, states and peoples of China and the wider world.

Finally, political party exchanges will help enhance China’s international image, boost mutual trust, and dispel mutual suspicion. China and Latin American countries still lack deep understanding of one another due to their vast geographic distance and sparse exchanges in the past. Influenced by the Western media and differing political systems, many Latin American countries have a weak foundation of mutual political trust with China.

Domestically, after more than 30 years of reform and opening-up, China has blazed a trail of socialist development with Chinese characteristics and stunned the world with its achievements. In terms of foreign affairs, China has chosen the way of open, cooperative, shared and peaceful development. China’s peaceful rising has broken the historical precedent whereby great power means world hegemony, and China is gaining understanding and support from more and more countries. By conducting active and flexible party diplomacy with Latin America and reporting China’s major policies, economic and social development situations, and explaining China’s concept of peaceful development, the CPC has pushed forward the common development of China and countries in the region and contributed greatly to building a harmonious world.

Prospects

Today, we are embracing a new era of great development, power shifts, and revolutionary changes in a world that is heading towards multipolarity and economic globalization. As the negative impact of the international financial crisis lingers on and the global economic recovery is yet to emerge, China and Latin American countries are facing two major domestic tasks: economic development and the improvement of people’s living standard. Meanwhile, they also share the common mission of maintaining world peace and promoting global development. Therefore, strengthening cooperation and exchanges and learning from each other can promote China and Latin American countries’ development and contribute to the establishment of a fairer and more rational international political and economic order.

As an integral part of state diplomacy in this critical period, the CPC’s exchanges with political parties overseas will be further expanded and deepened, focusing on the priorities of the country and the CPC itself. The primary task of exchanges is to create a peaceful international environment and favorable external conditions by taking advantage of this period of important strategic opportunities to promote the CPC’s international image and influence.

In 2008, China’s central government issued a paper on its policy concerning Latin America, which outlined a comprehensive and detailed framework for future cooperation with the region from a long-term and strategic perspective. The policy paper has been well received in Latin America. In recent years, relations between China and Latin American countries have built up a vigorous momentum. China believes that in the future, exchanges and cooperation between the CPC and political parties in Latin America will continue to be strengthened under their concerted efforts, based on China’s basic principles for inter-party relations.