China, Bolivia eye broader practical cooperation

Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli and Bolivian President Evo Morales met Monday and agreed to further expand and deepen cooperation between their countries.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations 29 years ago, China and Bolivia have witnessed smooth development of bilateral ties and steady consolidation of their traditional friendship, Zhang said, adding that they have also maintained close high-level contact and scored fruitful results in practical cooperation.

The Chinese side, Zhang said, attaches great importance to its relations with Bolivia, and stands ready to work with the Bolivian side to turn the upcoming 30th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties into an opportunity to further enrich bilateral practical cooperation and advance their relationship to a higher level.

As Bolivia now holds the rotating chair of the Group of 77 (G77) developing countries, Beijing will continue to support La Paz's work within the framework so as to promote mutual understanding, respect and support among G77 members, said the senior Chinese official.

As Chinese President Xi Jinping's special envoy for Tuesday's UN Climate Summit, Zhang said China will work with the G77 to strive for a broader representation and bigger say for developing countries in multilateral climate talks, and will further boost South-South cooperation in dealing with climate change.

For his part, Morales hailed the high-level mutual political trust between Bolivia and China, recalling that he and Xi have had several candid exchanges of views on further advancing the development of bilateral ties.

La Paz values the leading role Beijing plays in dealing with climate change and other global issues, and is proud of the friendly ties and close cooperation between Bolivia and China, the president added.

The Bolivian side, he said, looks forward to expanding economic and trade cooperation with China and will create a sound environment for Chinese enterprises investing in the South American country.