A meeting to create a Central America-China Friendship Federation opened Friday in the Nicaraguan capital of Managua.

Wang Hongqiang, secretary-general of the China-Latin America Friendship Association, attended the two-day meeting.

"The purpose of this meeting is to implement the Statement of the Friendship Forum for China and Central America, produced last year in Mexico, so that friendly exchanges continue to grow through concerted efforts," Wang said.

In order to set up a regional friendship federation with the Chinese people, friendship associations from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Paraguay attended the first preparatory meeting last year.

"The Central America-China Friendship Federation will be the basis for the exchange between both parties," Wang added. He also thanked members of the other Central American-China friendship associations.

The interim chairman of the future federation, Juan Flores of Salvador, said Friday that the countries in the region must unite to establish friendly links with China.

Flores said the Friendship Federation will be one of the most important organizations helping the region strengthen commercial relations with China.

According to the meeting's organizers, the event will end with the election of a board of directors for the future federation and the signing of "Managua Statement."

Source: Xinhua