On Friday, diplomats, business leaders, and cultural stakeholders from over 40 Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) nations gathered in Beijing to mark the official launch of the groundbreaking Latin America and Caribbean Countries Trade and Cultural Expo. Slated to run September 19 to 20, 2026 in Beijing, the event — branded LAC Day 2026 — marks the first comprehensive cross-sector platform for LAC nations hosted on Chinese soil, and is organized collectively by LAC countries’ diplomatic missions based in China.
Regional diplomatic officials frame the new initiative as a pivotal turning point for China-LAC relations, shifting bilateral and multilateral engagement from ad-hoc exchanges to a structured, institutionalized long-term partnership. Hallam Henry, Barbados’ ambassador to China, emphasized that the expo serves far more than a commercial purpose: it acts as a transcontinental bridge connecting individuals, enterprises, and sovereign nations to nurture deeper mutual understanding and collaborative action. “This expo is not just a showcase of products and services,” Henry noted. “It is a testament to the enduring friendship and partnership between Latin America, the Caribbean and China.”
Martin Charles, ambassador of the Dominican Republic to China and dean of the LAC diplomatic corps in China, called the initiative a historic milestone for the region’s collective engagement with Chinese markets and society. As the first event of its kind planned and executed entirely by the LAC diplomatic community in China, Charles explained that the platform embodies the region’s shared commitment to expanding connections beyond traditional trade ties, encompassing culture, tourism, and technological innovation.
Charles outlined the complementary strengths that both sides bring to the partnership: the LAC region holds abundant natural resources, fast-growing emerging consumer markets, and a rapidly expanding community of entrepreneurial talent, while China offers unmatched access to cutting-edge advanced technologies and one of the world’s largest global trade networks. “Our goal is to build lasting partnerships and open new channels of cooperation,” Charles added.
The upcoming expo will feature a diverse multi-track program that blends cultural exchange and commercial opportunity, including traditional cultural performances, regional food exhibitions, contemporary fashion shows, targeted business matchmaking sessions, and national branding promotion events for participating LAC nations. Organizers designed the agenda intentionally to weave cultural exchange into commercial engagement, reflecting a growing global trend of integrating soft power and trade development to build deeper, more people-centered partnerships.
Liu Kang, president of the event’s managing organization, added that the initiative seeks to establish a larger-scale, more immersive, and more influential permanent platform for LAC countries to build visibility and connection within China. “This is not only a cultural showcase, but also a bridge of friendship, a link for cooperation and a shared vision for the future,” Liu said.