China's imports of Chilean fruit on the rise

As ties deepen between China and Chile, the South American country's food exports to China saw a strong increase of 35 percent year-on-year to $438 million in 2011, according to the latest Chilean official data.

The figures underline the South American country's position as one of the major fruit suppliers to China.

Chilean fruit took a substantial share of China's fruit imports. According to data from ProChile, a trade promotion organization at the Chile's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chilean cherry exports in 2011 accounted for 75 percent of China's total cherry imports, plums for 71 percent, grapes for 58 percent and apples for 54 percent.

China overtook the United States to become Chile's largest trading partner in 2009. Bilateral trade between the two countries increased in 2011 to $29 billion from $24.7 billion a year ago, Chinese data showed.

During the first half of the year, trade between China and Chile increased 14.8 percent year-on-year to $14.7 billion, Chilean customs data showed.

To further boost commercial ties, the two countries signed on Sept 9 a supplementary agreement on investment under the China-Chile Free Trade Agreement, which was signed in November 2005.

During his visit to the South American country in June, Premier Wen Jiabao said that he expected bilateral trade to increase to $60 billion by the end of 2015.