Guatemalan Minister of Economy Marcio Ronanldo Cuevas, who began his China trip on June 20, has had an exchange of views with China on deepening economic relations and trade, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said at a routine press conference in Beijing on June 21.

The Guatemalan minister was met Monday by Cheng Siwei, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature.

Guatemala currently has no official relations with China. China said it hopes to establish normal state-to-state relations with Guatemala and other nations in the Caribbean region and Central America.

"China reiterated that it is ready to establish normal state-to- state relations with Guatemala and other nations in Central America and the Caribbean region on the basis of the UN Charter and the five principles of co-existence," Liu said. "It would serve our long-term interests."

Two-way trade between China and Guatemala reached 436 million US dollars last year, up 41.7 percent from the previous year.

The Guatemalan delegation arrived here earlier Monday for a week-long visit, as guest of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

Besides Beijing, they will also travel to Guangzhou in south China's Guangdong Province, Yichang in central China's Hubei Province, as well as the country's economic hub of Shanghai.

Source: Xinhua