China-Peru ties steadily bolstered: ambassador

Ties between China and Peru, currently at their peak, are steadily strengthened thanks to the two countries' shared long-term outlook, Chinese Ambassador to Peru Huang Minhui said.

China-Peru ties have been reinforced in recent years, Huang told Xinhua, specifying that the two countries dicided to lift relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership during Peruvian President Ollanta Humala Tasso's state visit to China in 2013, during which he met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

In this regard, Huang added, the upcoming visit to Lima of top Chinese legislator Zhang Dejiang is a clear evidence of the growing trust between the two countries.

Zhang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), will start the visit from Thursday at the invitation of President of Peruvian Congress Ana Maria Solorzano.

Zhang's visit, the first ever visit to Peru by a chairman of the NPC Standing Committee since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties in 1971, said Huang, will serve to deepen understanding between the two legislatures, promote cooperation and exchanges, strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership, and ultimately contribute to greater global peace and justice.

Exchanges at the legislative level are part of the relationship between the two nations, said the Chinese diplomat.

"The principle and goal of institutional cooperation concur with the direction in which bilateral ties are developing," Huang said, adding that the exchanges increase mutual trust, strengthen cooperation on building legal frameworks and generate mutual benefit.

Meanwhile, the ambassador also hailed high-level contacts between the tow countries, saying they have been playing an important role in binding and spurring bilateral ties.

"China and Peru, united by the Pacific Ocean, have similarities and differences in their history, culture, traditions and customs, that's why it is important to have better specific knowledge of one another to speed up the progress of bilateral ties," the ambassador said.

Recalling Humala's recent trip to Beijing, where he attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings, Huang said Humala and Xi signed multiple agreements in various key areas of bilateral cooperation, which laid a solid foundation for mutual trust, economic and trade cooperation, and coordination in international affairs.

China is now Peru's second largest trading partner, the largest export market and the second largest source of imports. Two-way trade reached 14.66 billion U.S. dollars in 2013, a year-on-year rise of 6.26 percent.

According to Huang, the South American country's exports to China are being optimized, with nontraditional export products on the rise, including fresh fruits and grains.

China, in turn, supplies Peru with consumer goods, capital goods, construction materials, raw materials and intermediate products.

Throughout the year, Huang noted, Chinese direct investment in Peru has increased significantly, especially through China Minmetals Corporation's acquisitions in the Las Bambas copper reserve in southern Peru.