Santiago, 17 August 2022 (TDI): The Foreign Minister of Chile, Antonia Urrejola, held a phone call with Wang Yi, State Counsellor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, in which he reaffirmed Chile’s support for the policy of “one China.”
The discussion took place in relation to tensions over US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.
Remarks Of Chile’s Foreign Office
Chile’s Foreign Ministry stated that the Chilean Minister affirmed Chile’s unwavering support for the idea of “one China”. Both authorities concurred on the need for multilateral discussion, to uphold international law and the UN Charter’s guiding principles.
Furthermore, the Chilean Foreign Office stressed that Urrejola and Wang also recognized the significance of extending the bilateral relationship based on cooperation in several fields, such as vaccine development, medication manufacture, clean power production, smart urban planning, and 5G networking.
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Additionally, they chose to keep advancing the strong political and economic ties that exist between the two nations.
Remarks of Chinese Foreign Minister
The Chinese Foreign Minister recalled the invitation for Chilean President Gabriel Boric to visit China in 2023. The invitation takes into account the consolidation of shared interests that enhance bilateral communication and help both nations’ stances in international fora.
Bilateral relations between Chile and China
Chile and China have long-standing diplomatic relations established in 1970. Chile was the first Latin American country to establish diplomatic ties with China. Bilateral trade between the two countries started in 1961 when China established the Commercial News Office of the Chinese Import and Export Corporation.
In addition, Chile was also the first South American state to support China’s application to join the World Trade Organization WTO, the first to acknowledge China as a market economy. Also, Chile was the first country anywhere to sign a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China in 2005.
Moreover, China is Chile’s top trading partner, accounting for 39% of all exports from Chile in 2016. Between January and July of this year, shipments to China totaled 23,697 million dollars.
