China to Enhance Cooperation with Latin America: Chinese FMChina attaches great importance to Sino-Latin American relations and hopes to enhance cooperation with Latin American countries in all fields, Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan said in Santiago on Monday.The Chinese minister made the remarks in his speech on China's reform and opening up policy and friendly Sino-Latin American cooperation, delivered at the Santiago-based Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. Tang said, China, as the largest developing country, and Latin America, also a developing region, have all the reasons to strengthen their cooperation in all fields to face the challenge of globalization. The Chinese minister pointed out the long-time friendship, the extensive consensus on major issues, and the considerable economic potentialities formed a solid basis for the further development of Sino-Latin American relations. To strengthen political ties, China and Latin American countries should increase the exchanges of high-level visits, intensify dialogues and deepen mutual understanding, he said. The Chinese minister also emphasized the great potentialities for economic cooperation between China and the Latin American region. He said the volume of Sino-Latin American trade had registered a 20 percent annual increase during the 1990s, soaring from 2 billion US dollars in 1990 to 82.6 billion dollars in 1999. Besides, more than 200 Chinese enterprises have invested some 1 billion dollars in 20 Latin American countries, while the investments of Latin American enterprises in China have amounted to 11.5 billion dollars. The Chinese foreign minister arrived here Sunday for a three-day official visit to Chile. He described as "very successful" his Latin America tour that has brought him to Cuba, Mexico and Brazil. |
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