China, Argentina pledge closer comprehensive strategic partnership   

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) shakes hands with Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner during their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 4, 2015. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with his Argentine counterpart Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner here on Wednesday and they decided to further enhance the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

Recalling his visit to Argentina in July last year, Xi said the important consensus reached then between the two presidents was being implemented and progress had instilled a strong driving force into the relationship.

During the July visit, Xi and Fernandez announced a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

"I am even more confident of the outlook for China-Argentina relations," Xi said during Wednesday's talks.

He said China and Argentina, both as important emerging markets, should boost exchanges and cooperation, share development opportunities and work together to address their common challenges.

Xi said the two countries should give full play to the intergovernmental permanent committee, make use of the Strategic Dialogue on Economic Cooperation and Coordination, and implement the joint action plan approved by the two governments.

According to a joint statement on deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership released after the talks, the first meeting of the intergovernmental permanent committee was held earlier on Wednesday, co-chaired by the foreign ministers of the two countries.

Xi said the two sides should ensure the success of the ongoing railway and hydropower projects in Argentina, boost cooperation on infrastructure, agriculture, energy, mining, equipment manufacture and other sectors, and give special attention to nuclear power in the next phase.

The Chinese president also looked forward to closer cooperation on customs, product quality, finance and currency swap as well as stable growth of two-way trade between the two countries.

Xi said the Chinese market is open for Argentine companies and China will, as always, encourage Chinese businesses to invest in Argentina.

China will also strengthen coordination with Argentina in international organizations and other multilateral mechanisms including the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Group of 20 (G20) and the Group of 77 (G77) plus China.

During the talks, Fernandez said Argentina attaches great importance to deepening comprehensive strategic partnership with China and she hoped that the bilateral cooperation will yield fruitful results.

China has become an important engine for the world economy, said the Argentine president.

Argentina hopes to boost cooperation with China on nuclear energy while the two sides are working together to build two hydroelectric dams, namely the Nestor Kirchner and Jorge Cepernic in pursuit of energy diversification, according to Fernandez.

She told Xi that Argentina hopes to increase the amount of currency swap with China, welcomes Chinese automobile and telecommunications companies to build factories in the country, and looks forward to more Chinese businesses' participation in exploiting potassium and lithium resources there.

Fernandez expected more Chinese products in the Argentine market as well as more export of Argentine produce to the Chinese market.

Fernandez said Argentina and China always support each other on issues involving their major concerns and that her country stands ready to cooperate with China in the United Nations, the World Trade Organization and other international organizations.

The two presidents also discussed the cooperation between China and Latin America as a whole and pledged more efforts to boost the cooperation.

After the talks at the Great Hall of the People, Xi and Fernandez signed the joint statement on deepening the partnership and witnessed the inking of a string of deals.

Prior to the talks, Xi held a red-carpet ceremony for Fernandez, who is making a three-day state visit to China at Xi's invitation.