BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping sent congratulations to the 9th summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), which opened Wednesday in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras.

In a congratulatory message, Xi said that the world today is undergoing accelerated changes unseen in a century and that the Global South, including China as well as Latin American and Caribbean countries, is growing with a strong momentum.

CELAC has remained committed to independence, self-reliance and strength through unity, playing an important role in safeguarding regional peace and stability, promoting development and cooperation, and advancing regional integration, he said.

The Chinese president sincerely wished the countries and people of Latin America and the Caribbean greater achievements on the path to development and revitalization so as to make greater contributions to the solidarity and cooperation of the Global South.

China-Latin America relations, Xi said, have withstood the test of international turbulence and entered a new stage marked by equality, mutual benefit, innovation, openness and tangible benefits for the people.

The two sides have deepened political trust, expanded practical cooperation and enhanced people-to-people exchanges, delivering benefits to both peoples and setting an example for South-South cooperation, he said, voicing China's readiness to work with countries in the region to push for new progress in building a China-Latin America community with a shared future.

This year, China will host the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC Forum in Beijing, Xi noted.

All CELAC member states are welcome to join China in a concerted effort to facilitate development and cooperation and contribute wisdom and strength to addressing global challenges, driving reform in global governance and safeguarding world peace and stability, Xi said.