Chile seeks wider cooperation with China

Chile hopes to expand its trade with China in addition to its major export of copper, the country's ambassador to China said on Tuesday.

"Cooperation between the two countries may not be limited to a model in which China is a copper consumer while Chile is a main provider. The industrial structure of the two countries is complimentary," said Jorge Heine at the China Mining Congress and Expo in north China's port city of Tianjin.

"Though influenced by the slowdown of the world economy, Chile's copper exports are now steady. Copper is very important to us, but I would like to diversify exports to China with more fresh food and cultural products," he said.

Trade between China and Chile jumped to over 30 billion dollars in 2013 from 8 billion U.S. dollars in 2005, when the two countries signed a free trade agreement.

In the first three quarters of 2014, copper accounted for 79 percent of Chile's exports to China, according to Heine.

He said he hoped the two sides can cooperate more in food, wine and clean energy, and that he will try to attract more Chinese investment to Chile.