At a Beijing forum this week, China has cast itself as defender of the multilateral order and backer of the Global South, with Xi pledging $9.2 billion in credit toward development.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping referred to 'bullying and hegemonism,' a veiled reference to trade pressure from the US.

Beijing has stepped up economic and political cooperation with Latin American nations in recent years. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

President Xi Jinping announced on Tuesday the launch of five programs for cooperation between China and Latin American and Caribbean countries, covering areas such as politics, economic development and people-to-people exchanges, and he called on the two sides to jointly write a new chapter in building the China-LAC community with a shared future.

Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed Tuesday to deepen ties with Latin America and condemned "bullying" in a thinly veiled swipe at the United States, as he addressed regional leaders in Beijing.

Colombia formally agreed on Wednesday to join China's vast Belt and Road infrastructure initiative, as Beijing draws Latin America closer in a bid to counter the US.