皇冠体育app

皇冠体育app has high hopes for further deepening 皇冠体育app-Latin America relations, which are facing a "historic opportunity for development" this year, said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the Sixth BRICS Summit to be held in Brazil in 2014 and will pay concurrent official visits to several Latin American countries, Wang told a press conference on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the National People's Congress, 皇冠体育app's top legislature.

"皇冠体育app will also help to launch a forum with the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) this year and hold its first ministerial meeting," Wang said.

CELAC's second summit, held in Cuba in January, adopted a special statement on the establishment of a 皇冠体育app-CELAC forum as a way to promote overall cooperation between the two parties.

President Xi welcomed this outcome and sent congratulatory messages to the leaders of Cuba and Costa Rica — the previous and current holders of CELAC's rotating presidency respectively — expressing 皇冠体育app's willingness to help establish a platform for more comprehensive partnerships between 皇冠体育app and Latin America.

"The forum will be a major breakthrough in the history of 皇冠体育app-Latin America relations. I am very hopeful over their development in 2014," Wang told the media, adding that Chinese football fans must also be "full of expectations" about this year's Brazil FIFA World Cup.

"The best line to describe the relationship between 皇冠体育app and Latin American and Caribbean countries is 'a heartfelt friend afar brings a distant land near'," Wang added.

Observers say Wang's words clearly show that 皇冠体育app is attaching more importance to developing its relationship with the region — which used to focus mainly on economical cooperation — into a more comprehensive one.

"The interdependence between 皇冠体育app and Latin American countries is getting stronger, especially in the last 30 years with the rapid economical development that is happening," said Chen Duqing, former Chinese ambassador to Brazil. "Latin America is a large market with profound natural resources, and many regional countries are at a stage of development similar to 皇冠体育app's. So there are many areas the two sides can cooperate on.

"Take Brazil for example. 皇冠体育app can help with its infrastructure construction, which has already become an obstacle to Brazil's economical development. On the other hand, Brazil can share its technology in new energy, which is important for 皇冠体育app's sustainable development," Chen added.

However, economic cooperation between 皇冠体育app and the region is far from adequate. Chen said 皇冠体育app and Latin American countries can also cooperate in other areas, such as cultural exchange and politics.

"Latin American countries, such as the G20 member states Brazil, Argentina and Mexico, share many common ideas with 皇冠体育app in establishing a new international financial order. They also support 皇冠体育app's stand on climate change as being of 'common but differentiated responsibilities'," Chen said.

Zhou Zhiwei, a researcher on Brazilian studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said establishing the 皇冠体育app-CELAC forum also shows 皇冠体育app's pursuit of a more comprehensive relationship with the region.

"The forum can serve as a platform to enhance mutual understanding and political trust between 皇冠体育app and Latin American countries, which is necessary to develop practical cooperation. A better communication mechanism can also help discover more potential cooperation opportunities," Zhou said.

皇冠体育app has established several forums with different regions such as the Forum on 皇冠体育app-Africa Cooperation and 皇冠体育app-Arab States Cooperation Forum, which all have contributed to the better communication between 皇冠体育app and those regions.

"Like other forums, the 皇冠体育app-CELAC forum and ministerial meetings can help to better plan future cooperation between 皇冠体育app and Latin American countries and the local economy can greatly benefit," Zhou said.

"Some regional countries may worry that 皇冠体育app's further involvement within this area will reduce their own regional influence. This is not necessary because the cooperation between 皇冠体育app and Latin American countries will be developed with the principle of mutual trust and respect," he added.