BEIJING, Oct. 17 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday held talks with Chilean President Gabriel Boric, who is in Beijing to attend the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and pay a state visit to China.

Xi said Chile is a pioneer in the Belt and Road cooperation between China and Latin America. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations more than half a century ago, China-Chile ties have maintained stable and sound development.

The bilateral cooperation in various fields has promoted the development and revitalization of the two countries and delivered tangible benefits to the two peoples, he said.

The two countries should take the signing of the Belt and Road cooperation plan as an opportunity to strengthen the alignment of their development strategies, he said.

Xi said China and Chile should deepen traditional cooperation in economy, trade and infrastructure, and foster new drivers of growth for cooperation on clean energy, digital economy, and scientific and technological innovation, to make Chile a leading country in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation between China and Latin America.

China welcomes more high-quality agricultural products and specialties from Chile to enter the Chinese market, he said.

Xi said that both China and Chile belong to the Global South. China is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with Chile to uphold solidarity and cooperation among developing countries, and safeguard true multilateralism and free trade.

China appreciates Chile's positive contributions to the development of China-Latin America relations and the China-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum, and hopes Chile will continue to play its unique role in promoting China's cooperation with Latin America, he said.

Boric said the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by President Xi draws wisdom from Chinese traditional culture that has a history of more than 5,000 years, and is based on the principles of equality and mutual respect. It has become an important platform for mutually beneficial cooperation and an important opportunity for countries around the world to achieve common development. Chile highly values and will continue to actively participate in the cooperation.

Chile supports China's efforts to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement, Boric said, adding that Chile hopes to become the hub of cooperation between China and Latin American countries and play an active role in promoting the development of the Latin America-China relations.

After the talks, the two heads of state witnessed the signing of a number of bilateral cooperation documents in fields such as Belt and Road cooperation, digital economy, scientific and technological innovation, customs inspection and quarantine.

A joint statement between the two countries was issued after the talks.

Senior Chinese leaders including Cai Qi and Wang Yi also attended the events.

Prior to the talks, Xi held a welcoming ceremony for Boric in the Great Hall of the People.