BEIJING: Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will visit South America next week on a four-nation tour, the Foreign Ministry said on Monday, a part of the world where China has deep business ties but traditionally only limited political influence.

Li will travel to Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Chile on the May 18-26 trip, the ministry said, without providing other details.

Visits by top Chinese leaders are typically accompanied by impressive deals, especially in resource-rich nations like Brazil and Chile.

China, the world’s second-largest economy, is buying oil from Venezuela, copper from Peru and Chile, and soybeans from Argentina and Brazil, for example.