From September 9-14, 2024, Chilean Defense Minister Maya Fernandez Allende, granddaughter of Chile’s first socialist president Salvador Allende, traveled to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to attend the 11th annual Xiangshan Defense Forum in Beijing. The meeting, the most significant event of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) global defense “diplomacy” during the year, was attended by over 500 representatives from more than 90 countries, including 30 Defense Ministers. While there, presumably following many positive encounters and generous PLA hospitality and a meeting with PLA Defense Minister Dong Jun, Minister Fernandez publicly proclaimed her interest in reviving closer Chile-PLA defense cooperation. Her statement, which included the intention to re-activate a previously established PRC-Chile Joint Working Commission.
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Photo of Chilean President Gabriel Boric meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Bangkok on Friday. Image via @gabrielboric and sourced from article. (https://chinayamericalatina.com/la-creciente-relacion-de-chile-con-china-en-materia-de-defensa/)