Colombian president on win-win BRI cooperation with China

Colombian President Gustavo Petro spoke highly of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and elaborated on the potential of deepened cooperation with China in green development and commodities trade in an interview with China Media Group (CMG) in Beijing on Wednesday.

Petro, who attended the China-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum in Beijing, said that he believes the core principle of the BRI is mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.

"If one takes the time to carefully study the cooperation framework of the plan (Belt and Road Initiative), it becomes clear that its core principle is mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. It's a sharp contrast to Latin America's traditional trade model with the United States. I think we have to get to the point. Colombia, like any other country in the world, has the right to freely choose our partners, where we relate to whomever we want," he said.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of China-Colombia diplomatic relations. Petro met with President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, and the two heads of state witnessed the signing of a cooperation plan between the two governments on jointly building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road, marking Colombia's formal accession to the BRI.

During the interview, the Colombian president praised China's progress in green development, and called for expanded bilateral cooperation in that field and beyond.

"When it comes to decarbonization, Colombia has the potential to lead. Colombia has abundant sunlight across most of the country, which means that any farmhouse, community or village can install solar panels without government assistance and generate their own electricity. In doing so, they can break free from monopolistic control and take energy into their own hands. China has made major progress in this field and holds a competitive edge in the global market," said Petro, adding that Colombia hopes to begin manufacturing solar panels domestically.

"Colombia is a paradise blessed with exceptional geography. Our capital, Bogota, sits at 2,600 meters above sea level and enjoys a cool, pleasant climate. The Caribbean coast, on the other hand, has a classic tropical climate and produces coconuts and other tropical crops in abundance. This environmental diversity has nurtured a wealth of flowers and species, and it opens up vast opportunities for China and Colombia to cooperate in agriculture and ecological industries. I hope this can pave the way for expanded commodities trade between our countries," he said.

Colombian president on win-win BRI cooperation with China

Colombian president on win-win BRI cooperation with China

The death toll from a landfill collapse in the central Philippine city of Cebu has risen to eight by Monday morning as search and rescue operations continued for another 28 missing people.

The landfill collapse occurred on Thursday as dozens of sanitation workers were working at the site. The disaster has already caused injuries of 18 people.

Family members of the missing people said the rescue progress is slow, and the hope for the survival of their loved ones is fading.

"For me, maybe I’ve accepted the worst result already because the garbage is poisonous and yesterday, it was raining very hard the whole day. Maybe they’ve been poisoned. For us, alive or dead, I hope we can get their bodies out of the garbage rubble," said Maria Kareen Rubin, a family member of a victim.

Families have set up camps on high ground near the landfill, awaiting news of their relatives. Some people at the site said cries for help could still be heard hours after the landfill collapsed, but these voices gradually faded away.

Bienvenido Ranido, who lost his wife in the disaster, said he can't believe all that happened.

"After they gave my wife oxygen, my kids and I were expecting that she would be saved that night because she was still alive. But the night came and till the next morning, they didn't manage to save her," he said.

Death toll in central Philippine landfill collapse rises to eight