With eye on US, China strengthens diplomatic ties with Colombia

On Wednesday, China upgraded its diplomatic ties with Colombia to a strategic partnership, intensifying a push with one of the U.S.’s oldest allies to increase its influence and solidify its position in Latin America.

As Colombian President Gustavo Petro met his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, on a trip to Beijing this week—his first since taking office last year—the two nations strengthened their ties, which had been formed in 1980.

China today maintains strategic connections with ten of the eleven South American nations with whom it has diplomatic ties, thanks to the improvement of its relations with Colombia. The only nation in the area with whom it maintains routine bilateral relations is Guyana.

China has intensified its charm offensive in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean in recent times, a region that holds strategic importance for the United States, its arch adversary.

The region is particularly important to China because it is home to a few nations that do not have diplomatic ties with Beijing but acknowledge Taiwan as a sovereign state with a democratically elected government. The only country in South America with diplomatic links to Taiwan, which China asserts is a part of its territory, is Paraguay.

China was the first nation to send immunisations to Colombia during the COVID outbreak. In 2021, Xi was requested to deliver an address to the people of Colombia via video link in appreciation for China’s assistance in battling the coronavirus pandemic.

China is now Colombia’s second-largest commercial partner behind the United States as a result of a dramatic increase in imports over the past few years. Colombia exported $7 billion worth of goods to China in 2022, an increase of over 20% from the previous five years.

One of the United States’ closest allies in the area is Colombia. One of the oldest democracies in Latin America, with a middle-class population, it forged diplomatic relations with the US in 1822.

“I’d like to work with Mr. President to draw up a blueprint for the development of China-Colombia relations and promote the strategic partnership between China and Colombia,” Xi told Petro as the two met at the Great Hall of the People in the heart of Beijing.

Contrary to several of its neighbours in Latin America and the Caribbean, Colombia has not yet ratified Xi’s multi-regional infrastructure Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Ivan Duque, a former president of Colombia, had previously shown interest in joining the BRI. He encouraged closer cooperation with China and visited Beijing in 2019.

Petro praised the potential to boost Colombian exports to China and the reopening of the Andean nation’s national rail network during his arrival in Beijing on Tuesday.

Two Bogota Metro underground lines are anticipated to be finished by China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) by 2026. The $4 billion project is 30% financed by Chinese banks and was granted to the CHEC, Xian Metro Company, and Canadian firm Bombardier Inc. consortium in 2019.

2019 also saw Columbia grant China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) the contract for the construction of the RegioTram light rail line.

Additionally, China has a mining stake in Colombia, where Zijin Mining recently acquired a gold mine from Continental Gold of Canada, elevating it to the status of a major employment.

China was asked to buy more from South America despite pledges, loans, and investments to improve infrastructure.

“When we look at the trade balance between Colombia and China, we find a great imbalance, a great inequality, a product of the economic history of the two countries,” Petro told Xi on Wednesday.

“There is a huge deficit.”

Colombia has the greatest trade imbalance with China out of the 11 South American nations that have diplomatic connections with Beijing, despite an increase in Chinese imports. More than $8 billion was lost in commerce by Colombia in the previous year.

(With agency inputs)