Ties with China 'essential' to Argentina: Scholar

BUENOS AIRES - Ties with China are "essential" to Argentina and the two sides will further mutual trust through Group of 20 (G20) summit in Hangzhou next month, according to an Argentinian editoral on Monday.

Argentinian leaders, including President Mauricio Macri, have vowed to bolster ties with China and increase bilateral trade, wrote Lautaro Rubbi, a teacher at the Institute of Social Sciences of the Argentine University of Business (UADE), in an editorial published on Monday in the trade-focused daily Cronista Comercial.

Foreign Affairs Minister Susana Malcorra also noted she was convinced of being able to forge a serious, mature and dependable relationship with China, wrote Rubbi.

"Bilateral cooperation is extensive, including various fields that go beyond the economy," noted Rubbi.

He highlighted the importance of top-level meetings between the two countries to promote mutual trust, citing the meeting between Macri and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the 2016 Nuclear Security Summit in April.

The two sides can further the trust during the upcoming G20 summit, Rubbi said.

China will continue to be "an essential trade partner for Argentina in the years to come", he wrote, highlighting the complementary nature of the two economies.

China and Argentina enjoy a relationship that has been elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership, with China being Argentina's second-largest trading partner after Brazil.