PR98105

BEIJING, Sept. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

A forum promoting cultural exchanges between China and Argentina was held in

Beijing on Wednesday with senior officials from both countries pledging to

advance the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind.

The China-Argentina High-Level Forum on Cultural Exchanges comes as the two

countries celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic

relations. Both Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Argentine counterpart

Alberto Fernandez sent congratulatory letters to the forum.

For half a century, China-Argentina relations have endured tests posed by the

changing international environment, exemplifying the unity and mutual

development between developing countries and emerging economies, Xi said in his

letter.

Noting the comprehensive and rapid development of bilateral ties reflects the

vitality of China-Latin America relations, Xi voiced the hope that participants

of the forum will pool their wisdom and build a consensus to help write a new

chapter in the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership and contribute to

the building of a community with a shared future for China and Latin America

and mankind in the new era.

Fernandez said the much accomplished media cooperation between the two

countries has raised mutual understanding between the two peoples, and he looks

forward to the deepening of bilateral cooperation so as to further strengthen

the China-Argentina strategic comprehensive partnership.

Over 100 representatives from China and Argentina attended the forum, which was

jointly hosted by China Media Group and Argentina's Public Media of the Nation.

It was one of a series of events in 2022 marking the friendship between the two

countries.

The many understandings reached between the two countries, such as a

cooperation agreement between Argentina's Buenos Aires Province and China's

Sichuan Province, will further upgrade bilateral trade and financial

collaboration, Argentine Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero said at the forum.

Buenos Aires and Sichuan are important economic provinces, Cafiero said, adding

that their collaboration marks a great achievement in the China-Argentina

strategic comprehensive partnership.

Fruitful cooperation, exchanges

China and Argentina established diplomatic ties in March 1972. Under the

principles of the non-aligned movement, the two countries made significant

progress in their pursuit of a cooperative agenda.

In 2004, the two countries signed a series of agreements, drastically boosting

economic cooperation. Bilateral trade has grown rapidly during the past two

decades, with China becoming Argentina's biggest trading partner in April 2020.

In November 2018, President Xi paid a state visit to Argentina where he also

attended the Group of 20 Summit. Over 30 agriculture and investment deals were

announced during that visit.

In a letter addressed to Xi in January 2022, Fernandez said countries should be

united, respect and support each other against the pandemic disruptions, and

commit to building a community with a shared future for mankind, a concept

proposed by the Chinese president.

Fernandez later attended the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics in

Beijing, where Chinese and Argentine officials also signed a Memorandum of

Understanding (MoU) on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), making the Latin

American country an official BRI partner.

In addition to the MoU, the two countries also signed cooperation documents in

over 10 areas, including green development, the digital economy, aerospace, the

BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, technological innovation and agriculture.

SOURCE: CGTN