translated from Spanish: Chancellors of Chile and China highlight political and trade relations

The ministers of foreign affairs of Chile and China, Teodoro Ribera and Wang Yi, highlighted on Sunday in Santiago the level reached in political and trade relations between the two countries and reviewed the main are aspects of the bilateral agenda.
“We have agreed on a positive assessment of our political tuning and the significant statistics that reveal the importance of bilateral trade and investment,” Chile’s chancellor said in a statement to the press meet this Sunday with the ultimate responsible for Chinese diplomacy.
The meeting, he added, also found a “mutual interest in expanding cooperation relations on future issues, and for strengthening contacts between our peoples,” and addressing specific actions to facilitate the implementation of the agreements to bring the initiatives of the 14 areas of work that make up the Joint Plan of Action 2019-2022, signed in April this.
This plan, signed in Beijing, seeks to strategically plan the promotion of bilateral relations, articulate development strategies and promote development and cooperation.
Later, the Chinese minister also issued a statement in which he stressed that “despite international vicissitudes, China-Chile relations have developed rapidly,” recalling that Chile was the first South American country to establish relations diplomats with his country in 1970.
“Chile can be a bridge connecting the two oceans and the two continents,” said Wang Yi, who stressed that his Government will “support Chinese companies, on the basis of respect for market rules, to participate in Chile’s infrastructure projects and region, and in this way we will be able to strengthen our cooperation in technological scientific innovation.”
“The friendship between the two countries is becoming stronger every day and practical cooperation is becoming more fruitful every day,” said Wang, which also highlighted Chile is the main source of salmon imports for China, the second largest source of fresh fruit and the third in wine.
He also referred to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, which will take place in Chile next November.” We hope it will be a success in delivering a clear message to the world to defend free trade and an open world economy,” he said.
The Chilean chancellor said that at the meeting, in addition to exchanging views “on issues of interest with regional situations, and the willingness to advance the common work for the expansion of free trade and the generation of a system rules based on clear and transparent rules.”
The agenda of the UN Summit on Climate Change (COP25) was also addressed in Santiago next December. Ribera appreciated “China’s resolute support for this body’s success against climate change.”
Wang Yi traveled to Chile as part of the celebration, in 2020, of the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and on Saturday he met with the President of Chile, Sebastián Piñera, with whom he discussed the strengthening bilateral ties, free trade and multi-laying.
They also addressed the strengthening of free trade, which passes through the end of the U.S.-China trade war and the need to strengthen the World Trade Organization (WTO as well), sources of the Chilean government.
They added that the Chilean representative also raised concerns about the regional impact of the crisis in Venezuela and called for China’s cooperation in finding a solution.
In 1970, Chile was the first South American country to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China, which is now its main trading partner, accounting for 27.8% of the total exchange with the world.
This Sunday, Chancellor Ribera also confirmed that the fifth version of Chile Week in China will be held between August 29 and September 4 in Beijing and Shanghai, and announced that Chile would send “a mission of the highest level led by former President Eduardo Frei c Ambassador of the Special Mission in Asia Pacific, as a way to strengthen our ties and give greater visibility to our country in China.”

Original source in Spanish