China, Argentina pledge to further ties

Visiting Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao pledged Friday to advance China-Argentina ties and cooperation.

During a meeting with Argentine President Cristina Fernandez, Li said the purpose of his trip was to send a message to the Argentine side that the new Chinese leadership attaches great importance to developing relations with the Latin American country.

China hopes the visit would help boost the comprehensive development of relations and good cooperation between the two countries, Li said.

China's new leadership will adhere to the principle of peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefits in developing relations with Argentina, Li said.

It stands ready to join hands with Argentina to maintain high-level contact, formulate a common action plan, establish a dialogue mechanism between economic agencies of the two countries, promote the steady and healthy development of trade and mutual investment, strengthen cooperation in finance to achieve common development and win-win results, Li said.

Latin America and the Caribbean is an important part of the world's emerging markets, Li said. China and Latin America have in recent years stuck to common development and promoted cooperation in various fields.

The two sides have been working on the establishment of a China-Latin America cooperation forum to push forward all-around cooperation, the Chinese vice president noted.

Argentina, an influential country in the region, has actively supported the comprehensive cooperation between China and Latin America, Li lauded.

China is willing to enhance communication and coordination with Argentina on the matter, and hopes Argentina would play an active role to push for consensus among the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) on an earlier establishment of the forum, Li said.

Cristina said Argentina highly values its strategic partnership with China, and hopes to establish and improve high-level dialogue mechanism between the two countries, strengthen practical cooperation on investment, economy and trade, agriculture, food industries and infrastructure to achieve win-win outcome and benefit the two peoples.