China, Colombia pledge to push forward ties

BOGOTA - China hopes to work with Colombia to explore further opportunities for cooperation and continue to push forward bilateral ties, a senior Chinese official has said.

Colombia is an important country in Latin America which enjoys a good reputation in China, said Sun Zhengcai, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

In a meeting with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos on Thursday, Sun, head of the CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee, said China has attached great importance to the development of relations with Colombia.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has met with President Santos twice and the two leaders agreed on the need to strengthen ties, a move that has injected new dynamism in bilateral ties, Sun said.

China supports the peace process in Colombia and will actively take part in the South American country's reconstruction effort following the 52-year conflict between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia and the government, Sun said.

The official said he hoped the two sides could strengthen economic and trade ties, people-to-people exchanges and as well increase communication at the government level.

Santos expressed appreciation for China's support for Colombia's peace process and admiration for the Asian country's rapid pace of development over the last decades.

He added that the economies of both countries can work to complement each other and welcomes more Chinese investment, especially in agriculture and infrastructure.

Sun and his delegation arrived in Colombia on Wednesday for a regional visit that has also taken them to Cuba.