Key points
- Two-thirds of Latin American countries have already signed up to BRI programme
- History of our foreign relations is changing: Colombian President
- China has surpassed United States as the biggest trading partner of Brazil
BOGOTÁ, Colombia: Colombia’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday hailed a “historic” deal with China that will bring Bogota into President Xi Jinping’s signature Belt and Road initiative, according to AFP.
“Colombia and China signed a cooperation plan for the Belt and Road Initiative today,” the ministry wrote on X, calling it a “historic step that opens up new opportunities for investment, technological cooperation, and sustainable development for both countries”.
Colombia y China firmaron hoy plan de cooperación para la Iniciativa de la Franja y la Ruta. Este es un paso histórico que abre nuevas oportunidades de inversión, cooperación tecnológica y desarrollo sostenible para ambos países. pic.twitter.com/pbpbjfSOkC
— Cancillería Colombia (@CancilleriaCol) May 14, 2025
The agreement came on the sidelines of a gathering of Latin American leaders in Beijing during which Xi also pledged $9.2 billion in credit towards “development”.
“Equality and freedom”
Colombian President Gustavo Petro posted that the deal marked a shift in the Latin American country’s foreign relations.
Cambia la historia de nuestras relaciones exteriores. A partir de ahora Colombia se relaciona con el mundo entero en pie de igualdad y libertad pic.twitter.com/4RQoJpmT59
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) May 14, 2025
“The history of our foreign relations is changing,” he wrote on X.
“From now on, Colombia will interact with the entire world on a footing of equality and freedom.”
🔴 Colombia 🇨🇴 y China 🇨🇳 firman acuerdo del plan de cooperación para la adhesión de nuestro país a la 𝐑𝐮𝐭𝐚 𝐝𝐞 𝐥𝐚 𝐒𝐞𝐝𝐚. pic.twitter.com/PXJT1mhZr2
— Presidencia Colombia 🇨🇴 (@infopresidencia) May 14, 2025
Two-thirds of Latin American countries have already signed up to Beijing’s trillion-dollar BRI infrastructure programme, and China has surpassed the United States as the biggest trading partner of Brazil, Peru and Chile, among others, according to AFP.
Closest partner
According to France 24, until now Colombia has been one of the United States’ closest and most steadfast trade and security partners in Latin America. But the arrival of Colombia’s first leftist president and the tariff-pocked second term of US President Donald Trump have put the relationship on ice.
