Xi says China supports Colombia's peace process

Chinese PresidentXi Jinping (R) meets with his Colombian counterpart Juan Manuel Santos in Lima, Peru, Nov. 19, 2016.[Photo/Xinhua]

LIMA - Chinese President Xi Jinping met with his Colombian counterpart Juan Manuel Santos here on Saturday, saying China supports Colombia's peace process.

Talking on the sidelines of the 2016 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting, Xi said China supports President Santos to firmly advance the peace process of Colombia.

China is willing to work together with Colombia to implement the consensus on cooperation and lift bilateral ties to a higher level, Xi said.

Noting that both are in a crucial period for national development, Xi said the two countries should support and help each other, strengthen high-level exchanges, maintain close communication, encourage governmental, parliamentary and party-to-party exchanges.

Xi urged the two countries to expand practical cooperation, boost efforts in advancing major projects and vigorously launch production capacity cooperation, so as to realize win-win, mutually beneficial and common development.

Meanwhile, the two countries should enhance cooperation under multilateral frameworks and pursue a fairer and more equitable international order, Xi added.

As developing countries, China and the Latin American countries are similar to each other in the phase of development, presenting opportunities to each other and sharing broad cooperation prospects, said Xi.

China stands ready to further political dialogue and deepen all-round cooperation with Latin America, and promote the building of the China-CELAC Forum so as to push for a better and faster growth of China-Latin America relations, Xi said.

As an intergovernmental forum, the China-CELAC Forum was set up on July 17, 2014 during Xi's second Latin American visit to steer cooperation between China and the 33-member Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).

Xi also called on Colombia to play an active role in further promoting mutually-beneficial cooperation between China and the Pacific Alliance - a regional trade bloc grouping Chile, Peru, Mexico and Colombia.

Calling China a great friend of Colombia, Santos said his country appreciates China's support for its peace process and it is looking forward to deepening cooperation with China in economy, trade, infrastructure and other fields.

Colombia supports stronger Latin America-China relations, Santos said, adding that the country is willing to promote exchanges and cooperation between the Pacific Alliance and China.