New Opportunities as Argentina Joins the Belt & Road
Over the decades, China and Argentina have deepened cooperation in trade, investment and finance, allowing China to become Argentina’s second-largest trading partner after Brazil. Argentina officially joined China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in February, bilateral exchanges are expected to expand further.
Argentina’s Consul General in Hong Kong, Gonzalo Javier Sabate, speaking at a Chamber webinar on 16 June hosted by Americas Committee Chairman Evaristo Trevino Berlanga, said Argentina’s entry into the BRI is important for China and Argentina to take their relationship to a new level.
Cristian Inderkumer, Director of Research at the Civic Association for Argentina-China Cooperation, pointed out that Argentina is the largest Latin American economy to join the BRI, while other major economies in the region, such as Brazil and Mexico, are still pending. He added the BRI will facilitate investment projects and deepen cooperation in areas such as agriculture, energy, mining and infrastructure, digital economy and climate change, all within a context of green development. However, Argentina’s widening trade deficit with China a concern that needed to be addressed.
Jiang Shixue, Professor and Director at the Centre for Latin American Studies at Shanghai University, said BRI not only promotes Chinese investment abroad, but also helps to promote policy coordination, infrastructure connection, trade facilitation, financial cooperation and people-to-people communication between. He added that promoting cultural and people-to-people exchanges after Covid will be important in reinforcing trust and understanding.
This webinar is co-organized by the Americas Committee and Belt and Road Working Group.
2022/06/16