On January 22, 2026, CIIDS held a salon. Mr. Wei Qiang, President of the Latin America Chapter of the Western Returned Scholars Association (Chinese Overseas-Educated Scholars Association) and former Chinese Ambassador to Panama, was invited to deliver a keynote presentation, themed “Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, Advancing the Building of a China-LAC Community with a Shared Future”. 

Members of various departments and special committees of CIIDS, as well as the institute’s distinguished researchers, attended the event. They engaged in in-depth interactions and exchanges with Amb. Wei Qiang on topics concerning China-LAC cooperation amid a vibrant and in-depth discussion atmosphere.

Amb. Wei Qiang delivered an in-depth interpretation of core topics including an overview of Latin America and the Caribbean region, the development course of China-LAC relations, and the development of people-to-people connectivity projects. He also had discussions with participants on how to advance think tank exchanges, enhance mutual understanding between China and LAC countries, and explore practical pathways for Chinese enterprises to go global.

He stressed that guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, furthering practical cooperation across various fields and cementing people-to-people friendship are the keys to sustaining the steady and long-term development of the China-LAC community with a shared future.

Vice Chairman Feng Wei of CIIDS chaired the event and made the concluding remarks. He commended that this session had built an effective communication bridge for research on China-LAC relations, and provided strong intellectual support for advancing practical bilateral cooperation and telling the story of the China-LAC community with a shared future well.

The “CIIDS Salon” is a series of internal exchange events launched by CIIDS. Focusing on core strategic subjects and global hot topics, it invites internal experts, partners and other guests to participate in in-depth dialogues, with the aim of broadening research horizons and inspiring academic thinking.