Argentina’s Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero has confirmed that President Alberto Fernandez will attend the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing Oct. 17-18, at the invitation of President Xi Jinping. Representatives of 110 countries are expected to attend this event.
Although the first round of Argentine elections takes place on Oct. 22, Fernandez wanted to make what will be his last trip to China as President, as he will be leaving office on Dec. 10. He expects to also visit the cities of Shanghai—headquarters of the BRICS New Development Bank, whose director is his friend and former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff—and Chengdu, according to the daily Dangdai, Sept. 21.
Cafiero confirmed the President’s plans in conversation with the newly-arrived Chinese ambassador, Wang Wei. They also discussed the need to improve and diversify bilateral trade and look toward further opening up of the Chinese market to Argentine products. Argentina’s participation in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Cafiero emphasized, is a means by which to increase trade as well as investment in infrastructure, which is crucial for national development. In February of 2022, Fernandez officially signed on to the BRI, by means of a Memorandum of Understanding that he signed during a meeting with Xi Jinping.
China is currently Argentina’s second-largest trading partner—both the second-largest export destination and a major source of imports, TV BRICS reported today.
