Colombian President Gustavo Petro met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping to officialize the entry into the program
Colombia officialized on Wednesday (14.MAI.2025) its entry into the Chinese initiative of the new Silk Route, whose official name is “Belt and Route”. With this, it becomes the 10th country in South America to integrate the initiative.
The entrance was signed at a meeting of the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro (Human Colombia, Left), and Chinese leader Xi Jinping (PCCH) in Beijing.
Like the Poder360Colombian President traveled to the Chinese capital to participate in the 4th China-Celac Forum (Latin American and Caribbean Community) with the intention of joining the Chinese program.
Before the trip, Petro stated that entry into the new Silk Route would depend on China’s commitment to buy Colombian products and reduce Colombia’s commercial deficit with China.
At the meeting between the leaders, Xi Jinping said the Chinese government intends to import more Colombian products.
Colombia’s entry into the Chinese program is a Chinese geopolitical victory against the United States. Historically, Colombia is one of the most aligned South American countries with Americans. The country still maintains the US as the main commercial partner, but relations between nations shuddered in the Petro government.
Earlier this year, Petro and US President Donald Trump (Republican Party) because of the deportations of Colombian immigrants in the US.
Despite the entrance to the silk route, Colombia’s presence in the Chinese initiative can be compromised. This is Petro’s last year in the country’s presidency and the victory of an opponent with a closer relationship to the US can cool the relationship between Colombia and China.
Nova Rota Da Seda
Launched in 2013, China’s initiative, whose official name is “Belt and Route”, is one of the largest economic programs of the Asian giant. It includes infrastructure and logistics projects that interconnect the country for land and water to Central Asia, south and southeast of the continent, Europe, Africa and other places in the world.
Currently, 149 countries are already part of the initiative. Brazil is not part of the “new silk route”.
