Chile and China signed a series of cooperative agreements Thursday in agriculture, finance and mining during a visit to Santiago by Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping.
"The purpose of my visit to Chile is to enhance friendship, deepen cooperation and achieve mutual development," said Xi, after attending the signing ceremony with Chilean President Sebastian Pinera at the presidential palace.
"We hope not only to deepen ties between our countries, but to offer Chile as a platform for China to integrate with the rest of Latin America," said Pinera.
The agreements include a "strategic partnership" between Chile's state-owned Codelco, which produces nearly 11 percent of the world's copper supply, and China Minmetals, the world's largest copper consumer.
Other agreements are intended to increase cooperation in agricultural exports and the financial, telecommunications, science, technology and cultural sectors.
On Friday, Xi will give a speech at the Santiago headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, and later attend a meeting of a Chile-China bilateral business council.
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