Petro Meets China's Xi, Relations Raised To 'Strategic Partnership'

(MNI) London - Chinese state media reporting that President Xi Jinping has confirmed that bilateral relations between China and Colombia have been raised to the level of 'strategic partnership'. The comments come as part of a state visit to China by Colombian President Gustavo Petro. Speaking to reporters ahead of the visit, Petro stated that he wanted to secure agreements that would facilitate exports to China, as well as seek investment in Colombian rail infrastructure to connect the Pacific and Caribbean coasts.

• The use of the term 'strategic partnership' by Xi is notable in signalling a much closer relationship between the two nations. Petro's comments about seeking investment in infrastructure could hint at the country finally signing up to Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which has seen notable investment in infrastructure projects across LatAm in recent years.
• The increasingly close relations between Bogota and Beijing have come with little pushback from Washington, D.C. This is something of a surprise given Colombia's historical position as one of the US' staunchest allies in the region. LatAm has received little diplomatic attention from the US under recent administrations both Democratic and Republican.