China has become the seventh nation to acquire observer status within the Andean Community (CAN), following a unanimous decision by the member countries — Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru — during the XXXI Meeting of the Andean Council of Foreign Ministers.
The process leading to this decision began in July, when the Chinese Embassy in Peru formally submitted an official request to join as an observer country to the CAN General Secretariat. CAN Secretary General Gonzalo Gutiérrez highlighted that this measure will create new opportunities for the Andean subregion to expand its influence in the Asia Pacific region.
In trade terms, China accounts for 66.9% of the CAN’s total trade with the Asia Pacific, based on the 2020–2024 average. During the same period, exports to China represented 61.6%, while imports from China reached 71.5% of the total trade between the Andean region and Asia-Pacific.
This level of exchange has been consolidated through significant Chinese investments in infrastructure, logistics, and transportation across Andean countries and is expected to strengthen further with China’s incorporation as an observer state of the Andean Community.
