Bibliometric Analysis of the China-CELAC Forum: Relevance, Challenges and Prospects for Research

Abstract

Since its creation, the China-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum, established in 2015, has facilitated the creation of a channel for dialogue on different areas of interest, playing a transformative role in shaping multilateral relations and the internal dynamics of China and Latin America. However, despite its relevance in strengthening Sino-Latin American cooperation mechanisms, there is currently a significant gap in the literature that comprehensively addresses the importance and impact of the Forum in the development of relations between these two regions. For this reason, it is proposed to conduct a bibliometric study that addresses the transformative role of the China-CELAC Forum, and evidences, based on the Scopus database, the gap in the understanding of the real effectiveness of the Forum in the short and long term. Through a mixed approach, two software tools were used, VOSviewer and ATLAS.ti; this, to determine the relationships between cited authors, keywords and, subsequently, the temporal evolution of the studies and main thematic axes. In this way, a comprehensive framework was formed to elucidate the academic discourse around the China-CELAC Forum, allowing the visualization of research opportunities for the deepening of national case studies and evaluations of “forum diplomacy”.