Beijing congratulated Colombia on its presidential run-off and said it would work with the incoming government of Abelardo de la Espriella, the far-right lawyer who has promised to pull the country back towards the United States.

Foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun made the remarks on Monday, a day after a preliminary count put de la Espriella narrowly ahead of his leftist rival, Senator Ivan Cepeda.

“China … congratulates Colombia on the smooth second round of presidential elections,” he said, adding that Beijing viewed the relationship “from a strategic height and long-term perspective” and stood ready to work with the new government to advance bilateral ties.

But the count is not yet final, as Cepeda is challenging results at about 33,000 polling stations, and outgoing President Gustavo Petro, whose coalition he represented, has alleged irregularities without presenting evidence.

Beijing’s congratulations went to an incoming government that built its campaign around Washington rather than China.

De la Espriella ran on a security alliance with the US and Israel and won an endorsement from US President Donald Trump. He promised to revive Plan Colombia, the US-funded military and counter-narcotics programme that anchored the alliance from 2000.