Foreign media: Colombia applies to join the New Development Bank.

According to a report by the Associated Press on May 17, the Colombian government has applied to join a development bank based in China. The report stated that Colombian President Petro this week visited China, where he stayed in Shanghai and met with the President of the New Development Bank and former President of Brazil, Rousseff. Petro said to reporters in China on the 17th that Colombia has committed to purchasing $512 million worth of shares in the New Development Bank. He expressed excitement at the possibility of receiving support from the New Development Bank to build a 120-kilometer canal or railway. This channel will connect Colombia's Atlantic and Pacific coasts, making Colombia the "center" of trade between South America and Asia. The US State Department stated this week that it will "strongly oppose" financing projects in Latin America related to the Belt and Road Initiative. In response, Petro said that he will not back down under pressure from the US and reiterated Colombia's neutrality in the current geopolitical struggles. Petro said in Shanghai, "We have freely made this decision. We can talk face to face with the United States, and we can also talk face to face with China."