[1/3] Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks with Colombian President Gustavo Petro during a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, October 25, 2023.
The upgrade of relations with Colombia means China now has strategic ties with 10 out of the 11 South American countries with which it has relations.
Paraguay is the last South American nation that has ties with Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory.
In 2022, shipments from Colombia to China totalled $7 billion, up almost 20% from five years earlier.
Among the 11 South American countries that have diplomatic ties with Beijing, Colombia has the largest trade deficit with China despite increased Chinese imports.
Persons:
Xi Jinping, Gustavo Petro, Ken Ishii, Xi, Petro, Ivan Duque, Liz Lee, Ryan Woo, Ellen Zhang, Bernadette Baum, Robert Birsel, Nick Macfie
Organizations:
of, People, REUTERS Acquire, Initiative, South American, Tuesday, China Harbour Engineering Company, Bogota Metro, Xian Metro Company, Bombardier Inc, Columbia, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, Zijin Mining, Canada's Continental, Thomson
Locations:
Beijing, China, Colombia, Latin America Colombia, Xi's, Initiative BEIJING, U.S, America, Guyana, South America, Central America, Caribbean, United States, Taiwan, Paraguay, American, Latin America, Bogota, Argentina, Venezuela, Bolivia, Suriname