Argentina seeks to increase Chinese investments in energy and lithium during Beijing visit

Photo: Chancellery of Argentina.

The Argentine foreign minister Diana Mondino presented a plan focused on increasing Chinese investments in energy and lithium, as well as exploring opportunities to increase meat exports.

As part of Mondino’s ongoing visit to China, she met with the Vice President of China, the Vice Minister of Commerce and Representative for International Trade, and the President of the People’s Bank of China.

“The objective is to consolidate the bilateral relationship, strengthen the mechanisms of dialogue between the two countries and increase opportunities for reciprocal trade and investment,” the Argentine foreign ministry said in a statement.

The negotiations of this visit reflect the Argentine government’s recent shift towards a more pragmatic approach to China, as highlighted by local outlet El Cronista, which stated that “the ideological battle has been left aside and commercial relations are moving forward above all things”.

Part of the reforms promoted by the Argentine government of Javier Milei include the strengthening of the national economic and productive apparatus, and to this end, Mondino expressed her interest in achieving “tangible progress, taking stock of the results achieved – especially in terms of economy and trade –, and expanding joint work in investment, energy and infrastructure, among other areas”.

In addition, during the first day of her visit, she participated along with a business delegation in the Argentina Business and Investment Summit – dedicated to trade promotion and investment attraction between both countries – in the city of Shanghai. Mondino held meetings with representatives of China Energy (Gezhouba Group), Huawei Technologies, China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC), ICBC (ICBC Argentina), ZTE Corporation, AUDES Construcciones and Xiaomi, co-organizers of the meeting.

However, some media such as La Política Online have criticized the agenda and contradictory manners during Mondino’s visit, where she used phrases and comments in a sarcastic tone during official events, and experts cited in La Política described these attitudes as “not proper of a foreign minister. It seems that she does not know how to control her impulses”. 

Mondino also met with her counterpart Wang Yi, key for the renewal of relationship between the two countries. During the meeting, a frank and open dialogue was held, as highlighted in an official statement from the foreign ministry.

“We concluded such analysis with the expectation of convening meetings with a view to working to ensure frequent, fluid and constructive dialogue on economic and trade issues,” Mondino added.

Main source:

Argentina suma inversiones de China en litio y exportación de carne, y hace un guiño a Xi Jinping | DF SUD (April 30, 2024)

Others related source:

Los empresarios hablan de un fracaso de la gira de Mondino en China y temen que cierre el mercado a la carne argentina | La Política Online (April 29, 2024)

La agenda de Diana Mondino en la gira por China: el futuro del swap, reunión con empresarios y bajar tensiones políticas | ámbito (April 28, 2024)

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