Xi exchanges congratulations with Colombian president over 45th anniversary of ties

BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping on Friday exchanged congratulations with Colombian President Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego over the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

Since China and Colombia established diplomatic relations 45 years ago, both sides have been pushing for the steady development of bilateral ties based on the principles of equality and mutual respect, said Xi.

Xi noted that in October 2023, Petro paid a successful state visit to China, during which the two heads of state had a fruitful meeting, and jointly announced the establishment of a strategic partnership between the two countries, guiding China-Colombia relations into a new era.

Colombia is an important country in Latin America and will assume the rotating presidency of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States this year, said Xi.

Xi also said he attaches great importance to developing China-Colombia relations, and is willing to work with Petro to deepen the strategic partnership between the two countries in efforts to jointly build a China-Latin America and the Caribbean community with a shared future.

In his message, Petro said the development of bilateral relations has witnessed fruitful results since the two sides established diplomatic ties, delivering benefits to the two peoples.

Frequent high-level visits have strongly boosted bilateral cooperation in various fields, and fostered a deeper bond between the two peoples, he said.

The Colombian president also noted that he paid a state visit to China after taking office, and bilateral ties have been steadily strengthened with the continuous increase of trade and investment.

Colombia is willing to work with China to jointly advance the global agenda of mutual concern, including world peace, energy transition and tackling climate change, he added.