The flag of Colombia was inaugurated on November 26, 1861, and is rectangular in shape, with a ratio of length to width of about 3:2. It consists of three parallel horizontal rectangles, yellow, blue and red, from top to bottom, with the yellow part occupying half of the flag, and the blue and red parts occupying 1/4 of the flag, the yellow symbolizing the golden sunshine, grains, and rich natural resources; the blue representing the blue sky, the sea, and rivers; and the red symbolizing the blood spilled by the patriots for the country's independence and national liberation. The yellow symbolizes the golden sunshine, grains and rich natural resources; the blue represents the blue sky, ocean and rivers; and the red symbolizes the blood spilled by patriots for the country's independence and national liberation.
The President is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces is the highest military command. The highest military advisory body is the Supreme National Defense Council.
The reserve service system combines high school conscripts, regular conscripts, and volunteers. High school conscripts serve for one year, and ordinary conscripts serve for two years. The army and navy also recruit some volunteers. Colombia has some of the most modern equipment in Latin America.
The current Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Admiral Freddy PADILLA de León (Freddy PADILLA de León), Commander of the Army, Admiral Oscar GONZALEZ Pe?a (Oscar GONZALEZ Pe a), Commander of the Navy, Guillermo BARRERA Hurtado (Guillermo BARRERA Hurtado ), Admiral Jorge BALLESTEROS Rodríguez, Commander of the Air Force, and Major General Oscar NARANJO Trujillo, Director of the National Police. Relations with China Bilateral political relations
On February 7, 1980, diplomatic relations were established between the People's Republic of China*** and the State of Colombia***. In June and September of the same year, China and Colombia exchanged embassies.In November 1989, the two countries reached an agreement on the exchange of consulates, and the Chinese Consulate in Barranquilla opened in June 1990.In December 2011, the two sides reached an agreement on the establishment of a Consulate General of Colombia in Shanghai.
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have been steadily developing their relations, expanding exchanges and cooperation in various fields and maintaining good cooperation in international affairs. The Colombian government adheres to the one-China policy.
Bilateral economic and trade relations and economic and technical cooperation
Since the first Joint Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation (JCETEC) was convened by the Chinese and Colombian governments in Beijing in June 1986, eight JCETECs have been successfully held. The eighth session was held in October 2012 in Bogota.
Cultural and Educational Cooperation
As of May 2013, there are three Confucius Institutes and one Confucius Classroom in Colombia. They are the Confucius Institute at Universidad de los Andes, the Confucius Institute in Medellín, the Confucius Institute at Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano, and the Confucius Classroom in Nueva Granada. Relations with South Korea On June 25, 2012, negotiations for a free trade agreement between Colombia and South Korea, which lasted two and a half years, were officially concluded. According to Colombian government figures, trade between the two countries grew from US$358 million in 2002 to US$1.51 billion in 2011. Relations with the U.S. On October 30, 2009, Colombia and the U.S. signed an agreement on the leasing of U.S. military bases in Colombia, which came into effect on the same day, and on May 15, 2012, the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (U.S.-Colombia TPA) came into force, providing duty-free treatment for more than 80 percent of U.S. consumer and industrial goods and more than 50 percent of U.S. agricultural products exported to Colombia. Duty-free consumer and industrial products include agricultural and construction equipment, building products, aircraft and parts, fertilizers, information technology equipment, medical and scientific equipment, and lumber, among others, which were previously subject to tariffs ranging from 7.4 to 14.6 percent on U.S. industrial exports; duty-free agricultural products include wheat, barley, soybeans, high-quality beef, cured meats, and virtually all fruits and vegetables, and under the agreement, Colombia will eliminate virtually all tariffs on all fruits and vegetables over the next 15 years. Under the agreement, Colombia will eliminate nearly all tariffs on U.S. agricultural products over the next 15 years. Colombia is also opening up a $180 billion services market to the U.S., including allowing Colombian companies to hire U.S. professionals and gradually eliminating market access restrictions in the cable television industry.
Colombia is the third-largest economy in Latin America, and the U.S. and Colombian economies are highly complementary; the TPA will increase U.S. merchandise exports by $1.1 billion, which, combined with increases in the value of other export-driven industries, will add a further $2.5 billion to the gross domestic product (GDP). 2011 U.S. merchandise exports to Colombia were valued at $14.3 billion. Relations with European countries The European Union is an important partner for Colombia, and in 2012, Colombia signed a free trade agreement with the EU. In 2012, Colombia signed a free trade agreement with the EU. Spain's Prime Minister Rajoy, European Commission Vice-President Dahani, and Portugal's Prime Minister Coelho visited the country. President Santos visited Portugal. Relations with Latin American countries Colombia maintains close and traditional relations with Latin American countries, exchanging high-level visits with them. Colombia has signed bilateral free trade agreements with Venezuela and Chile, and has established a free trade zone with Ecuador. It has signed a tri-national free trade agreement with Mexico and Venezuela. Free trade and economic cooperation with Central America and the Caribbean have made remarkable progress. The country is actively seeking to strengthen its relationship with MERCOSUR, and in 2011 it established the Pacific Alliance with Chile, Mexico and Peru, and the joint stock market with Chile and Peru is in full operation.
In 2012, Colombia has been actively engaged with countries in the region. President Santos visited Guatemala, Cuba, Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador and Panama, while Foreign Minister Olguin visited Cuba, Haiti and Venezuela. President Morales of Bolivia, President-elect Pe?a of Mexico, Prime Minister Godfried of Aruba, Foreign Minister Pati?o of Ecuador, Foreign Minister Roncagliolo of Peru, Foreign Minister Larkin of Suriname, and Foreign Minister Zimmermann of Argentina visited Colombia, and in April, Colombia successfully hosted the Sixth Summit of the Americas. Relations with Asian countries Colombia attaches importance to the development of political, economic and trade cooperation with Asia-Pacific countries; in 2012, President Santos visited China and Singapore; Foreign Minister Olguin visited China, Japan and Vietnam. South Korean President Lee Myung-bak visited the country.