Colombia formalized its accession to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the ambitious strategic plan led by China to expand its global influence through massive investments in infrastructure, transportation, and technology. This announcement marks a significant shift in Colombian foreign policy.
China, Colombia’s second largest trading partner, has intensified its presence in the region through strategic development projects. However, the experiences of other Latin American countries that are part of the BRI have raised doubts about the risks involved in this alliance, including problems of transparency, indebtedness, and loss of autonomy in key sectors.
Entry with warnings
According to the Colombian Foreign Ministry, joining the BRI does not entail any legal commitments or the signing of a formal treaty. Each project will be evaluated individually, the government said. But international experts have expressed concern about the long-term effects of this alliance. In a report, think tank Council on Foreign Relations warns that China is using the BRI as a tool to strengthen its geopolitical presence, particularly in countries with high financial vulnerability.
“Colombia is trying to […] get close enough [to China] to reap potential benefits, especially in infrastructure,” Vladimir Rouvinski, director of the Department of Politics and International Relations at ICESI University, told Diálogo. “But the risk lies in the opacity. Many of the agreements under the BRI lack clear information about their content, timelines, and objectives.”
Confidentiality clauses and China’s model under scrutiny
In a 2021 report, U.S. research lab AidData indicated that China’s debt contracts with foreign governments contain confidentiality clauses that, in many cases, conceal even the existence of the debt. These conditions have been linked to tighter control over the resources and policies of debtor countries. According to the report, cancellation, acceleration, and stabilization clauses in these contracts give China significant influence over the internal and external decisions of its partners, limiting their options for renegotiation.
“Chinese companies have direct links to the state and could be used for strategic or defense purposes,” said Rouvinski.
Conditional debt: lessons from the region
Loans issued by China to Latin American countries have in some cases generated unsustainable levels of debt, pushing nations like Venezuela and Ecuador into positions of economic dependence. According to the Andrés Bello Foundation, Venezuela, has received $60 billion across 16 loans, while Ecuador, has accrued $3.2 billion from 24 separate operations, illustrating the dangers of these financial relationships.
In Ecuador, agreements with Beijing have been conditional on the hiring of Chinese companies and the delivery of resources such as oil, Central American think tank Expediente Abierto indicates in a report. This model, which excludes local actors, has been criticized for its impact on strategic sectors such as mining and infrastructure.
A case in point is the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric plant. The Ecuadorian government has initiated international arbitration against Sinohydro, the Chinese construction company, over widespread structural failures. Further escalating concerns, the Coca River’s regressive erosion jeopardizes the plant’s long-term functionality, daily La Hora reported.
Economic dependence and sovereignty at stake
In Peru, for example, more than a third of the country’s exports are destined for China, which has consolidated an asymmetrical trade relationship. The construction of the Chancay megaport, financed by Chinese capital, reinforces this dependence and limits the country’s economic room for maneuver. “The greater the integration, the less economic room for maneuver,” the Andrés Bello Foundation indicated.
In Colombia, China Harbour Engineering Company, the firm responsible for constructing the first line of the Bogotá Metro, has been criticized for corruption, delays, and environmental damage. These concerns are not isolated as the company has faced similar complaints on other projects worldwide, Infobae reported. This track record has raised concerns about Colombia’s ability to effectively supervise and manage these investments.
An uncertain path: withdrawals and reflections
Some countries have distanced themselves from the BRI in recent years, such as Italy, which abandoned the initiative in 2023, and Panama, which did so in February this year. In South America, countries such as Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile are rethinking their relationship with China due to concerns about the opacity of the agreements and the loss of strategic control.
In addition, the BRI has been criticized for its environmental impacts, such as deforestation and the displacement of communities. According to nongovernmental organization Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), the Chinese Communist Party uses state-owned and private companies to secure access to key resources and technology markets as part of its global strategy.
“China is adjusting its strategy in Latin America. It is no longer just betting on large national projects, but is expanding its presence at the subnational level with medium-sized companies in different regions,” Rouvinski said. This more discreet expansion, he added, creates new dependencies and alters regional dynamics.
Is Colombia prepared?
Colombia’s decision to join the BRI raises an inevitable question: Can the country face the challenges posed by such an unbalanced relationship? According to Rouvinski, the answer is no. “Colombia is not ready to join the BRI. There is a lack of knowledge about China and the dynamics involved in this relationship. There is a debt to be paid in terms of training and technical expertise to manage this type of strategic relationship,” he said.
Colombia’s commitment to China’s BRI is emerging as a critical chapter in its foreign policy debate, navigating promises of development against the inherent risks of dependence. For now, the experiences of other countries in the region serve as a stark reminder of the potential costs associated with an imbalanced alliance.
