Chinese premier's LatAm visit marks new stage in ties

"Regional countries need to be able to define their specific projects and interests, ... not just to strengthen ties with China, but also to improve our competitiveness and develop our inter-regional trade," he added.

Latin America, said Rosales, is beginning to understand the role that China plays in the world economy as Chinese proposals and initiatives are reconfiguring the world economic map.

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), initiated by China and composed of 57 founding members from inside and outside Asia, is one example, he said, noting that it also has a Latin American country, Brazil, among its ranks.

Another example is China's Belt and Road initiatives, which Rosales described as "the boldest and most innovative proposal on the world agenda" today.

The Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road would link together China, Europe, Eurasia, Africa and the Middle East, in a modern-day revival of the ancient Silk Road trade routes.

The vision is both "spectacular" and doable, Rosales said, given that there are already railway lines that go to Spain and Germany from China, and a train used by companies such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Hewlett-Packard that runs from Shanghai's outskirts to Europe.

Such mega-projects, said Rosales, point to "a growing link between China and Europe that also takes in Russia and Ukraine, connecting the Asian giant with Eurasia and Europe."

"All of this is reconfiguring the world economic map and our biggest fear, as Latin Americans, is that we will be left out of this model, if we lack a proposal for inserting ourselves into this new reality," said Rosales.

To prevent that from happening, he proposed, Latin American countries should work to bridge existing gaps in infrastructure and telecommunications, diversify exports, incorporate more new technologies into manufacturing, and make progress in areas approved at the China-CELAC forum.

"The infrastructure projects are not only going to allow greater connectivity with China, but also with the region, and that will spur labor activity, and goods and services, which in turn will generate more economic activity and more jobs," said Rosales.

In the past five years, a succession of Chinese leaders have visited ECLAC's headquarters in Santiago, which "is a great honor and makes us truly proud," said Rosales.

"It means all our hard work hasn't been in vain and that ECLAC's efforts have received recognition, which strengthens our commitment to continuing working with dedication on an issue that is essential to Latin American development," he added.