LatinNews Daily - 18 October 2023

* Chile’s government led by President Gabriel Boric has announced the inking of 13 new cooperation agreements with China. The announcement comes as President Boric is currently heading up a high level delegation to China where he has met President Xi Jinping According to a press release by Chile’s foreign ministry, Chile’s foreign minister Alberto van Klaveren signed six agreements including a plan for advancing China’s ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ (BRI), which enables cooperation on major infrastructure projects; a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on strengthening cooperation on economic development; an MoU on Antarctic cooperation; and an MoU investment in the digital economy. The two countries also agreed to establish a working group on economic and investment cooperation and to promote economic and trade cooperation among small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Chile’s agriculture minister, Esteban Valenzuela, signed MoUs related to phytosanitary requirements for export of fresh stone fruits, as well as on electronic phytosanitary certification, and an MoU on organic products. Meanwhile, Chile’s economy minister, Nicolás Grau, signed MoUs on aquaculture inspection protocols; strengthening cooperation in digital economy; and promoting investment and industrial cooperation. Finally, the executive director of Chile’s agency for international development cooperation, Enrique O’Farrill, signed an MoU to promote the implementation of the Global Development Initiative (GDI), an initiative proposed by China in 2021, emphasising collaborative efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which was launched by a United Nations summit in 2015, and build projects that benefit developing countries.