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Chile–China relations

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chile–China relations
Map indicating locations of Chile and China

Chile
China
Chile President Michelle Bachelet and China President Xi Jinping in Beijing.

Chile–China relations are foreign relations between the Republic of Chile and the People's Republic of China. Diplomatic relation were established with the Republic of China in 1915, with Chile switching to recognition of the PRC in 1970.[1] Both nations are members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and the United Nations.

History

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The relations between the People's Republic of China and Chile began on 15 December 1970, shortly following the election of Salvador Allende, and Chile became the first South American country to recognize the mainland Chinese government.[2][3] Following the 1973 Chilean coup d'état which saw the overthrow of the Allende government, China was one of only two Communist countries (the other was Romania)[4] not to have severed ties with Augusto Pinochet's new regime, due to the latter's continued endorsement of the One China Policy.[5] As a result, China chose not to recall its ambassador in Chile, while replacing the Allende appointed ambassador Armando Uribe with a Pinochet appointed one. China also chose to represent the affairs of Chile in the DPRK and the affairs of the DPRK in Chile.[6]

The continued relationship was built on pragmatism and non-interference.[5] China supported Chile's claim of sovereignty over Antarctic, and in turn, Chile allowed the Chinese to build the Great Wall research station inside Chile's territorial claims. There was also a failed attempt at a joint venture to produce weapons between Norinco and FAMAE, aimed at reducing Chile's military dependence on the United States.[5] Pinochet has nurtured his relationship with China.[7] Pinochet visited China in 1993 and 1997.[8] Despite his vehement anti-communism, Pinochet has praised China's system of government, saying that "I saw that Chinese Communism was patriotic Communism, not the Communism of Mao. I opened up the doors to Chinese commerce, letting them hold an exposition here, in which they brought everything they had—and they sold everything they brought".[9]

Following the end of the Cold War and fall of the Pinochet regime in 1990, bilateral relations continued, with the new Chilean government pursuing a policy of free trade, and supported China's entrance into the World Trade Organization.[5]

Bilateral relations

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Chile is one of the first Latin American countries which began trade and economic exchanges with China after the Chinese civil war.[1] Bilateral trade between the two countries began as early as 1961 when China established the Commercial News Office of Chinese Import and Export Corporation. In 1965 was re-established as the Commercial Office of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.[1]

Since the establishment of the diplomatic relations in 1970, bilateral economic relations have developed considerably. Chile became China's third largest Latin American trading partner behind Brazil and Mexico. Bilateral trade volume set a record at $2.565 billion in 2002.[1]

Chinese exports to Chile is primary in textiles, clothing, ceramics, chemicals and medicine, tools and consumer electronics.[1]

Chilean exports to China are mainly in copper,[10] niter, pulp, paper, fish meal and timber. This has also expanded to red wine, marine alga, potassium sulphate and fruit produce.[1][11]

Chile and China signed a free trade agreement in 2008.[12]: 69 

Current relations

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Countries which signed cooperation documents related to the Belt and Road Initiative.

In the past couple of years, there has been a large influx of Chinese workers, primarily businessmen, into Chile. Having one of the older trading relationships of South America with China, Chile is extending its trade into that of human capital. Chile has welcomed China's educated workers into every sector of operations, especially in the agriculture and minerals extraction industries.

Hoping to tap into one of Latin America's best performing and vast countries (aside from Argentina and Uruguay), Chinese workers are taking this opportunities as a chance to create a food source for their country. As Chile has a great amount of fertile land, great for crops and livestock, the Chinese are looking to arrange deals with the country to have sanctions of free land for the sole purpose of making produce to export to China.

No official deals have made as of yet, but the Chinese have been purchasing Chilean land, along with land in other countries, for years, with the purpose of growing their food production.

Chinese company purchased controlling stake in Sociedad Química y Minera, It is Chile lithium producer and world's biggest lithium producer.[13]

Resident diplomatic missions

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "China-Chile Relations". 19 October 2012. Archived from the original on 19 October 2012. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  2. ^ "Ministry of Foreign Affairs Holds a Briefing for Chinese and Foreign Media on President Hu Jintao's Upcoming Visit".
  3. ^ "Embajada de Chile en China » Bilateral Relations". Archived from the original on 1 March 2012. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
  4. ^ Valenzuela, Julio Samuel; Valenzuela, Arturo (1986). Military Rule in Chile: Dictatorship and Oppositions. Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 316.
  5. ^ a b c d "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 October 2012. Retrieved 22 May 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. ^ Policy of Czechoslovakia towards Chile 1973–19801 by Michal Zourek. P. 46.
  7. ^ "U.S. and Others Gave Millions To Pinochet". The New York Times. 7 December 2004. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
  8. ^ "The Dictator". The New Yorker. 19 October 1998. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  9. ^ Anderson, Jon Lee (11 October 1998). "The Dictator". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  10. ^ "In seven years Asia became Chile's main trade partner: absorbs 48% of exports". MercoPress. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  11. ^ "Asian opportunity for Chilean produce – Fruitnet.com | The Global Fresh Produce Portal". Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 1 October 2010.
  12. ^ Cheng, Wenting (2023). China in Global Governance of Intellectual Property: Implications for Global Distributive Justice. Palgrave Socio-Legal Studies series. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-3-031-24369-1.
  13. ^ "China's Tianqi buys stake in lithium miner SQM from Nutrien for $4.1 bn". Nikkei. 4 December 2018. ISSN 0013-0613. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  14. ^ Chile, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de. "Embajada de Chile en China". Chile en el Exterior. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  15. ^ "EMBASSY OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA IN THE REPUBLIC OF CHILE". cl.china-embassy.gov.cn. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
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