Xi gives joint written interview to media of Caribbean countries(4)

Q: What mechanisms and measures is the Chinese side considering adopting to promote balanced bilateral trade between China and Mexico? In what industries is the Chinese side planning to invest in Mexico? What policies is China adopting to encourage Mexican enterprises to invest in the country? How likely is it that China and Mexico will sign an agreement on free trade? In which areas will the two sides open up to each other to a greater extent?

A: In recent years, China-Mexico trade and economic cooperation have deepened from time to time and continued to achieve new results. China has become the second-largest trade partner of Mexico in the world, while Mexico is the second-largest trade partner of China in Latin America. Mutual investment between the two countries has steadily grown in scale, while areas of cooperation have continued to expand.

The Chinese side has never intentionally sought surplus in bilateral trade and is ready to join in efforts with the Mexican side to tap into potential, expand the scale and optimize the structure of bilateral trade and seek balance of trade in an active way.

Mexican exports to China have significantly diversified in recent years with an increasing number of electricity and telecommunications products, crude oil, cars, beer as well as agricultural products like tortillas and avocado available on Chinese markets.

During my visit to Mexico, the two sides will solve the issue regarding Mexican pork exports to China. China will organize a delegation of enterprises to Mexico to engage in relevant projects and market development. Meanwhile, China welcomes the Mexican side to send delegation to attend Chinese trade exhibitions, enhance understanding of the Chinese markets and promote Mexican products that meet the demand of Chinese consumers.

Mexico is an important investment partner for China in Latin-America. China has increased its investment scale to Mexico with a broadening of investment fields. The Chinese government will continue to encourage and support competent Chinese companies to actively participate in Mexican infrastructure construction, and support enterprises of the two countries to conduct cooperation in the mining industry, energy (including new energy and renewable energy), manufacturing sector, telecommunications and agriculture, and cultivate new growth areas of investment.

Since its entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001, China has fully implemented its commitment and its openness is approaching the average level of WTO's developed members. Foreign investments have entered into most fields of China's agriculture, manufacture and the service industry. We will adopt a more proactive opening-up policy and push forward the opening up to broader fields and a higher level. The country will encourage the foreign capital to enter into the areas of modern agriculture, high technology, advanced manufacture, energy conservation and environmental protection, new energy and the modern service industry.

China welcomes Mexican enterprises to expand investment in China. The country will continue to facilitate the investment environment, protect the legal rights and interests of foreign companies, and make efforts to create an open and transparent legal policy environment, a highly efficient and standardized administrative environment as well as a level playing field for foreign companies, including Mexican companies.

China has signed agreement of free trade with the three Latin American countries of Chile, Peru and Costa Rica, which played an important role in promoting trade and economic cooperation and investment between China and the three countries. China has also officially started a joint feasibility study on a free trade zone with Colombia. If the Mexican side puts forward the willingness to negotiate with the Chinese side on establishing a free trade zone, China is ready to strengthen cooperation with Mexico in this respect.