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Premier Li meets with Chilean president

Updated: May 14,2017 9:07 PM     english.gov.cn

Premier Li Keqiang vowed to enhance cooperation with Chile and upgrade China-Chile free trade zone during a meeting with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet in Beijing on May 14.

Bachelet is in Beijing for the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation on May 14 to 15.

Chile has led Latin American countries in developing longtime ties with China. President Xi Jinping held a fruitful meeting with Bachelet on May 13, which depicted a broader prospect for the China-Chile relationship, Premier Li said.

The Premier said China hopes to accelerate dovetailing its development strategy with that of Chile, promote overall exchanges, and expand cooperation in key areas.

He said China will join hands with Chile to upgrade the China-Chile free trade zone and send a positive signal of promoting economic globalization, supporting trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and opposing protectionism, in an effort to promote regional and global peace and prosperity.

Premier Li said cooperation between China and Latin American countries has become an important part of cooperation among developing countries, and the Forum of China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States has become a crucial platform that drives forward cooperation to mutual benefit.

China hopes to work with Chile and other Latin American countries to hold the second ministerial meeting of the forum, and to push forward the relationship and further cooperation between the two sides.

Bachelet said China and Chile have maintained close, high-level contacts and rapid development in bilateral relations and cooperation. Holding onto the principle of free trade and sticking to the development strategy facing the Asia-Pacific region, Chile hopes to conclude negotiations on the upgrade of the China-Chile free trade agreement, and strengthen cooperation among small- and medium-sized enterprises and e-commerce cooperation to expand bilateral trade, she added.

Bachelet said Chile welcomes Chinese investment in Chile and participation in cooperation in fields such as new energy, communication, transportation, agriculture, sci-tech innovation and finance. Chile also hopes to work with China to tap the third-party market, and to promote the relationship between China and Latin America.

State Councilor Yang Jing also attended the meeting.