Visiting Chinese top national advisor Jia Qinglin called here Tuesday for further development of the relations between China and Latin America.

In a speech at the Colombian Congress, Jia, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said the bilateral relationship is at the best period in history, facing a historical opportunity to be lifted to a higher stage.

Seizing the opportunity and strengthening cooperation conforms to the fundamental interests of China and Latin America and is conducive to their bid to become winner of globalization and push globalization to the direction of common prosperity of different countries, with narrowing the north-south gap in particular, Jia noted.

In the speech entitled "Enhancing Mutually Beneficial Cooperation and Promoting Common Development," Jia said the rapid progress in China-Latin American economic and trade relations fully demonstrated the complementarity of their economies, which means one's development is another's important development opportunity, he said.

Authoritative reports from international economic and financial organizations pointed out time and again that China's economic development is an important factor in the economic recovery of Latin America, Jia said.

Jia stressed that the two sides are complementary rather than competitive in product structure, market and attraction of foreign investment, etc.

With the joint efforts, the prospect of economic and technological cooperation between China and Latin America will become even brighter, Jia said.

Both China and Latin American countries are developing countries, Jia said. With the international competition becoming increasingly fierce, the two sides should cooperate closely, tap the potential of complementarity, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, strive for a win-win outcome and jointly improve their situation in international competition.

China is willing, on the basis of equality, mutual benefit and common development, to constantly expand the economic and trade relations with Latin American countries including Colombia, Jia said.

Strengthening China-Latin American cooperation is not only conducive to their respective development and improvement of international position, but also to the world peace, stability and development, he said.

Citing an ancient Chinese saying, Jia said though China and Latin America are far apart in distance, their sincere friendship cannot be separated by mountains and oceans.

Jia expressed his hope that China and Latin America would join hands, seize the opportunity, expand cooperation and strengthen exchanges so as to become reliable all-weather friends on the political front, mutually beneficial cooperative partners in the economic sphere, and a model of active dialogues between different civilizations in the perspective of culture, thus making common contribution to the noble cause of world peace and development.

Jia is visiting Colombia at the invitation of Colombian Congress President Luis Gomez.

The CPPCC is China's top advisory body, consisting of representatives of the Communist Party of China, non-Communist parties, personages without party affiliation, and representatives of people's organizations, national minorities and all social strata.

The main functions of the CPPCC are to conduct political consultation, exercise democratic supervision and participate in the discussion and handling of state affairs.

Source: Xinhua