Xi's trip further brightens prospects of China-LatAm co-op (3)

STRONGER TIES WITH BRAZIL, ARGENTINA, VENEZUELA, CUBA

During a meeting between Xi and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, the two leaders summarized the successful experiences in their countries' 40-year-old diplomatic relationship and pledged to further consolidate bilateral cooperation.

Stressing that China and Brazil have become a "community of shared destiny," Xi suggested the two countries intensify high-level exchanges as well as interaction at different levels and in various fields, actively communicate on governance experiences and coordinate macro-economic policies.

Xi said China and Brazil should improve economic and trade cooperation, increase bilateral trade, and enhance cooperation in such areas as electricity, agriculture, mining and oil exploitation, high-speed railway construction, finance, science and technology, innovation, Internet and people-to-people exchanges.

The two countries also pledged to join hands in building a transcontinental railway that runs from the Peruvian Pacific coast to the Brazilian Atlantic coast.

In Buenos Aires, Xi and his Argentine counterpart, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, agreed to upgrade bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

Noting that China and Argentina are both emerging-market economies at an important phase of development, Xi said they should stick to the in-the-same-boat spirit, learn from each other's governance experiences and deepen cooperation to tackle challenges and achieve common development.

The two sides should promote stable and balanced growth of bilateral trade, boost cooperation in such fields as gas, mining industry, agriculture, nuclear power, infrastructure construction and finance, Xi said.

In Caracas, Xi and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro also agreed to upgrade their countries' relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

Xi put forward a four-point proposal to lift China-Venezuela relations to a partnership that features strategic mutual trust, comprehensive cooperation, mutual benefits and win-win results, as well as common development.

During Xi's visit, the two sides signed 16 agreements covering such areas as energy and mining, finance, infrastructure construction, agriculture and high technology.

Before Xi visited Cuba, the last leg of his four-nation Latin American tour, he said the China-Cuba relationship "has stood the test of constant changes in the international landscape and set an example of unity and cooperation between developing countries."

During their meeting Tuesday, Xi and Cuban leader Raul Castro pledged that the two countries will be long-term, staunch friends and partners for reciprocal cooperation.

Xi proposed that China and Cuba make good use of the existing mechanisms like the inter-governmental economic and trade mixed committee and follow the guidance of the bilateral mid-term economic cooperation plan to boost trade and explore potential in health care and other service trade.

The two sides pledged to expand cooperation in key areas such as agriculture, infrastructure construction, energy, mining, tourism and high technology.

"The Chinese side is fully confident in the future development of its relations with Cuba. China is willing to be a good friend, comrade and brother of Cuba forever and join hands with Cuba to constantly elevate bilateral ties to new heights," Xi said.