Chinese premier's visit enhances China-Latin America ties, cooperation

BEIJING, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's just-concluded visits to Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina and Chile have successfully boosted bilateral ties and strengthened south-south cooperation, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said on Thursday.

Wen attended the U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in Rio De Janeiro, and paid official visits to the four Latin American countries from June 20 to 26.

Yang said there exists profound traditional friendship between China and Latin America. Against the backdrop of profound changes of the world situation, China and the four countries should deepen bilateral cooperation in more fields.

The four Latin American countries are all fastest growing economies in Latin America and hope to expand friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation with China, Yang said.

He added Wen's trips to the four countries accomplished the goals of building political mutual trust, promoting pragmatic cooperation, deepening cooperation in regional and international affairs, and expanding cultural and humanistic exchanges.

BUILDING POLITICAL MUTUAL TRUST

During the visits to the four Latin American countries, Wen held talks with presidents of the four countries respectively, and met with parliament leaders on ways of boosting bilateral ties.

In Brazil, Wen and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff agreed to upgrade bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership and set up a comprehensive strategic dialogue mechanism between their foreign ministers.

Wen announced the establishment of China-Chile strategic partnership during the talks with Chilean President Sebastian Pinera, and agreed to expand exchanges with Argentine and Uruguayan governments, parties, and parliaments to consolidate friendship, enhance mutual trust and promote all-round and in-depth development of bilateral ties.

The leaders of the four countries also spoke highly of China's development achievements and stressed the importance of boosting ties with China.

PROMOTING PRAGMATIC COOPERATION

During Wen's visit, China and Brazil signed a 10-year cooperation plan, which will direct bilateral cooperation in such fields as technological innovation, space, energy, minerals, infrastructure, investment, finance, industry, trade, education and cultural exchange over the next 10 years.

China and Argentina agreed to initiate the formulation of a mutual action plan to guide and coordinate bilateral cooperation in the next five years.

China and Chile completed negotiations on investment-related supplementary deals to a bilateral free trade agreement and vowed to double bilateral trade in three years.

Wen said that during the visits, he and the four countries reach broad consensus on giving priority to promoting trade investment, banking and finance, transportation and capital construction, energy and mineral resources, scientific-technological innovation, etc, leading to the signing of more than 40 cooperation documents.

The leaders of the four countries also vowed to promote pragmatic cooperation with China, and local media believed Wen's visits would bring new opportunities for development amid the international financial crisis.

In addition, Wen suggested in a video conference with Southern Common Market (Mercosur) leaders that the two sides expand mutual investment and financial and technological cooperation.

Wen also proposed to double the trade volume with Mercosur to 200 billion U.S. dollars by 2016 and initiate a feasibility study on a free trade area (FTA) pact between China and Mercosur.

In a speech at the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and Caribbean (ECLAC), Wen proposed the establishment of a China-Latin America cooperation forum in order to elevate the platform for comprehensive cooperation, and called on China and the ECLAC countries to strive toward the goal of increasing the two-way trade to 400 billion U.S. dollars in five years.

DEEPENING COOPERATION IN INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS

China and the four Latin American countries stand ready to enhance contact and communication in international organizations or within the frameworks of multilateral mechanisms such as the United Nations, the World Trade Organization and the Group of 20.

They also agreed to keep close coordination on issues such as global economic governance, the Doha Round negotiations, climate changes and cooperation between developing countries, in order to establish a just and rational new international political and economic order.

China and Brazil would also deepen cooperation within the frameworks of multilateral mechanisms such as the BRICS bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, China, India and South Africa, and the BASIC countries including China, India, Brazil and South Africa.

EXPANDING CULTURAL AND HUMANISTIC EXCHANGES

Wen said amity between peoples holds the key to sound relations among countries, and he has attached great importance to contacts with the peoples in the four Latin American countries.

In Argentina, Wen first met with local celebrities in economic, technological, cultural, and educational fields to learn more about Argentina and hear their suggestions about bilateral cooperation.

Wen said promoting mutual understanding and trust between the two peoples could ensure a long-term friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

He said the meeting with local people increased his understanding of Argentina and showed the two countries are good friends and partners that respect each other and treat each other equally.

Meanwhile, Wen and President Fernandez attended activities to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of China-Argentina diplomatic ties in downtown Buenos Aires, which would further cement China-Argentina friendship.