SANTIAGO, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The third Ministerial Meeting of the Forum of China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (China-CELAC Forum) marked another milestone in deepening bilateral cooperation, a senior UN official has said.

Among the issues highlighted at the forum was a China-CELAC joint action plan for cooperation to promote trade and investment and greater cooperation in services that could solidify economic ties, Alicia Barcena, executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), told Xinhua in a recent interview.

There has been a "very significant" increase in Chinese investment in Latin America, especially in sectors like energy, leading to "very dynamic" trade ties in 2020, Barcena noted, adding that China was the only relevant market in which Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) saw exports grow.

"Between the first half of 2020 and the first half of 2021, exports from our region to China increased by 40 percent," said the ECLAC head.

China has become a leading producer of electric batteries, giving added value to regional lithium output, among other resources, and that is something that should be "deepened," Barcena said.

On circular cooperation, she said "China is a pioneer because it has technologies and experiences in a number of industries that ... are key to recycling."

"We believe that China can greatly strengthen its collaboration with Latin America and the Caribbean on recycling and the reuse of waste products, and electrical and electronic devices," she said.

"There is an enormous opportunity here, where we could also receive China's cooperation in agricultural waste and how to transform it into consumables," she noted.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, China delivered millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the region and plans to build joint vaccine production plants in the area, she said.

"This is going to increase our region's capacity for vaccine production. We emphasize that this self-sufficiency plan is an engine for our region," Barcena said.