Colombia has joined China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) after a meeting between Presidents Xi Jinping and Gustavo Petro. This agreement aims to boost infrastructure development and strengthen global cooperation. Xi emphasized multilateralism and unity, while pledging financial support and cooperation in various sectors. The move comes amid growing tensions between the US and China over trade policies.

Colombia has officially joined Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), according to reports from Beijing’s state media on Wednesday. This development follows a bilateral meeting between Xi and Colombian President Gustavo Petro, which took place after a Chinese-hosted summit with Latin American and Caribbean leaders in Beijing.

To date, two-thirds of Latin American countries have signed agreements to participate in the infrastructure initiative. The BRI, which is aimed at bolstering Beijing’s global political and economic influence, offers Chinese investment in infrastructure and large-scale projects in exchange for the recipient countries’ participation.

Latin America has become an important region for both Washington and Beijing as they compete for global dominance. During the meeting, Xi encouraged the participating countries to use Colombia’s formal entry into the BRI as an opportunity to enhance the quality of their cooperative efforts. The Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua reported that Xi expressed China’s readiness to import more high-quality Colombian products.

Petro commented on the historic shift in Colombia’s foreign relations, stating on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that "the history of our foreign relations is changing." He added, "From now on, Colombia will interact with the entire world on a footing of equality and freedom."

The signing of this agreement came just days after Xi used the China-CELAC Forum on Tuesday to position China as a champion of the multilateral order. His comments came amid ongoing trade tensions with the United States under former President Donald Trump, whose policies have been criticized as erratic and detrimental to global markets.

Xi’s remarks appeared to be a critique of the US, as he stated, "Bullying and hegemony will only lead to self-isolation." He emphasized that there are no winners in tariff or trade wars, asserting that "Only through unity and cooperation can countries safeguard global peace and stability and promote worldwide development and prosperity."

In further support of the region, Xi pledged $9.2 billion (€8.2 billion) in development credits and promised Beijing’s assistance in fighting terrorism and transnational organized crime. He also announced initiatives such as scholarships and training programs to support Latin American nations.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also took aim at the US, referring to a "major power" that was "obsessed with the idea that might makes right." He encouraged Latin American nations to "join hands" with China to defend their rights against countries using tariffs as a weapon to intimidate others.