Colombian president calls for enhanced ties with China

UPDATED: 13:11, March 18, 2005
Colombian president calls for enhanced ties with China



Colombia hopes to enhance its relations with China, mainly in economy and trade, Colombia President Alvaro Uribe has said.

The president made the remarks in an interview with Xinhua on the eve of his first official visit to China, scheduled for early-April.

Describing the 25-year-plus diplomatic relations between the two countries as "very good," the president noted the two economies need further integration. "We hope China will greatly increase its investment in Colombia," he said.

For China, "there are great opportunities to invest in coal, oil and textiles," Uribe said.

Colombia has worked out a series of tax incentives for foreign investors, and the investment environment in Colombia has markedly improved, he added.
(snip/...)

http://english.people.com.cn/200503/18/eng20050318_177352.html

to win oil from Columbia, Venezuela, Russia and other countries.

The U.S. is using the stick to get oil from Iraq.

Both the carrot and the stick cost lots of money.

It will be interesting to see which approach is the more successful.

Of course, if W had not alienated so many countries, China would not be having its current success.

countries?

The Chinese know that money talks, and the Chinese also know that development aid and investment does a lot to spread influence. The US has chosen to ignore foreign infrastructure for decades now, thanks to "Conservative" policies that Congress implemented decades ago.

The US seems to have little to offer other countries in terms of aid these days except empty rhetoric. Given the choice between Boosh regime empty rhetoric and Chinese cash, is it any surprise that the Colombians are likely to choose the latter?

where the U.S. has spent LOTS of money. But I think the country is in worse shape now that it was before we got involved. The reason is that all of our money is mixed up with drugs.

..to prop up a US friendly right wing plutocracy in Columbia.