BEIJING: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Foreign Affairs Minister of Chile Alberto van Klaveren Stork on Wednesday, calling on the two sides to advance the comprehensive strategic partnership.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said although China and Chile were separated by the long geographical distance, the people of the two countries have shared amity and friendship, and bilateral relations have developed steadily.
Hailing the exemplary role Chile has played in developing ties with China, Wang said the meetings between the two countries’ leaders over the past years have guided bilateral cooperation to achieve gratifying results. “China-Chile relations have entered the best period,” said Wang.
Noting that next year will mark the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and the 20th anniversary of the free trade agreement signed by the two sides, Wang said China is ready to work with Chile to act on the consensus reached by the two countries’ heads of state, and advance the comprehensive strategic partnership by promoting high-level political mutual trust, pragmatic cooperation and connectivity.
He said China is willing to maintain high-level exchanges with Chile and close communication at all levels, constantly improve economic and trade cooperation, expand cooperation in emerging fields such as information and clean energy, and strengthen the synergy of development strategies.
Wang said China and Chile, both as important Asia-Pacific countries, should strengthen international coordination and jointly uphold multilateralism and free trade.
For his part, van Klaveren Stork said Chile firmly adheres to the one-China principle. This is an important cornerstone of Chile’s foreign policy, which will not be changed in any way, he said.
Chile is ready to strengthen high-level and people-to-people exchanges with China, deepen cooperation on various fronts, improve connectivity and promote further progress in bilateral ties, he said, adding that Chile welcomes Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in the country.
