China has invited Colombia to join the Belt and Road Initiative and is “exploring the possibility of a free-trade agreement” with the South American country, Beijing’s ambassador to Bogota told local media.
Zhu Jingyang’s remarks on the China-centred investment and infrastructure scheme spanning the globe came during a press conference on Tuesday to address topics raised during Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo’s visit to Beijing last week.
The Chinese envoy said the invitation for Colombia to participate in the belt and road plan was extended “about eight or nine months ago, in January”.
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“We have already forwarded a draft of the Chinese proposal to their ministries and basically no one has raised any objections,” Zhu added.
Last week Murillo met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Vice-President Han Zheng. And in a video on the Colombian foreign ministry’s YouTube channel, Murillo confirmed the two sides had agreed to establish a working group to discuss the matter.
“We really see great potential for our country,” said Murillo. “For example, we have a US$40 billion portfolio in a socio-ecological energy transition plan and there are huge opportunities to attract investment from the People’s Republic of China.”
Zhu said the group would comprise representatives from 18 Colombian ministries. The aim is to sign a memorandum formalising the country’s belt and road membership.
“This is not a binding agreement. The conditions are set there and the country accepts the invitation to join,” Zhu explained, saying the scheme “is not about negotiations that imply obligations like other types of agreements”.
In South America, only Brazil, Paraguay and Colombia have yet to join the initiative.
But Brasilia is negotiating its membership, which is expected to be formalised during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Rio de Janeiro in November.
Colombia’s decision is likely to stir concern in the United States, which is vying with China for greater influence in South America. Bogota is America’s most important diplomatic and military partner on the continent.
Since 2022, Colombia has held “major non-Nato ally” status, a designation the US grants to strategic partners of its armed forces.
In 2012, the two countries implemented the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement, providing for the gradual elimination of tariffs by 2028.
The pact also removed technical trade barriers and established common regulations for sectors including intellectual property rights, telecommunications, e-commerce and government procurement.
Aside from raising the belt and road plan, Murillo in Beijing held preliminary talks on Colombia’s possible accession to Brics, the association of major emerging economies named after its founding members Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
However, Zhu expressed reservations. While acknowledging that Wang Shouwen, China’s vice-minister of commerce, had signalled Beijing’s willingness to discuss free trade, Zhu said it was “premature” to consider Bogota for membership in Brics.
“We welcome your interest, but joining the BRI is easier,” the ambassador said. “It is still premature. We have to wait until the grapes are ripe.”
The South American country has repeatedly voiced interest in joining Brics.
This year Colombian President Gustavo Petro asked Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to advocate for the country’s membership in the strategic bloc, which has recently welcomed new members.
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