(Yicai Global) Jan. 7 -- Half of Colombia's future exports to China could be agricultural products, including coffee, flowers, and fruit, the ambassador of Colombia to China told Yicai Global in an exclusive interview.

Colombia welcomes Chinese investment and hopes to expand trade with China, said Luis Diego Monsalve.

In the first nine months last year, mineral products remained as Colombia's biggest exports to China, accounting for 89.7 percent of the total, according to data from China's commerce ministry.

The two countries have room to trade more tropical fruits such as bananas and avocados, according to Monsalve. The pair has reached a deal under which Colombia will supply USD40 million worth of bananas to China each year.

Infrastructure cooperation has also widened between the two nations. Last October, a consortium formed by state-backed China Harbour Engineering, Xi'an Metro, CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles, as well as Canada's Bombardier, won the bid to build Bogota's first subway line. The USD5 billion contract will be the largest investment project in Colombia for the next few years, said the ambassador. 

The same month, government-backed Unidad de Planeacion Minero Energetica assigned Changzhou-based Trina Solar Energy to construct three solar power plants totaling nearly 350 megawatts in annual capacity, Monsalve added. 

Editor: Emmi Laine