The government of Nicaragua inaugurated a direct trade route with China on Thursday to expand economic exchange between the two countries, reported a pro-government media outlet.
The announcement was made at the port of Corinto, on the Pacific coast, about 150 km northwest of Managua, where the Panamanian-flagged merchant ship Sunny Fortune arrived on Wednesday. This is the first of three monthly ships planned under a trade agreement with China.
Laureano Ortega, the presidential advisor in charge of relations between Nicaragua and China, and the son of President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo, led the event alongside Chinese and Nicaraguan officials. He stated that this is a “significant milestone” for the Central American country.
“This is a great achievement for our country, and we will continue working to ensure this is just the beginning, with more frequency and more operations,” commented Laureano Ortega, as quoted on the El19digital website.
He added that, in addition to opening the route, the Sunny Fortune transported machinery for the construction of the Punta Huete International Airport, north of Managua, which the Nicaraguan government has granted to the Chinese company CAMC.
In December 2023, China and Nicaragua agreed to elevate their relations to the level of a “strategic partnership” following a call between Ortega and Chinese President Xi Jinping. In January, Nicaragua and China implemented a Free Trade Agreement.
In 2021, Managua established relations with China after breaking ties with Taiwan, which Beijing considers a territory that must be reclaimed, even by force if necessary.
Since then, the world’s second-largest economy has supported the Nicaraguan government, which faces sanctions from the United States and European countries following the 2018 protests against Ortega, which left over 300 dead, according to the UN.
