CRI听力:Observers optimistic about Chinese president's visit to Chile

Chinese Ambassador to Chile Li Baorong said that China-Chile relations are the strongest they've ever been.

"I think the two countries' bilateral ties have become more mature, and the cooperation has become more comprehensive in the last two years due to increased high-level exchanges. The relationship's strategic significance has also become more prominent."

Chile has achieved a string of "firsts" in many aspects its relationship with China.

It's the first Latin American country to establish diplomatic relations with China, the first to establish dialogue at the legislative level, and the first to sign a free trade agreement with China.

Eduardo Goycoolea, executive director of "New World Currents," an alliance of Chilean salmon farmers, said Xi Jinping's visit could bring more benefits to both peoples.

"The visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping and his upcoming meeting with delegates from various industrial sectors in Chile are very important and beneficial to us. Chile is an export-led economy, with China accounting for 20 percent of our total export market. China is an important partner in trade and economy, so bilateral ties should be deepened."

China is now Chile's largest trading partner, export destination, and buyer of copper products, while Chile is China's second largest source of wine imports.

Li Baorong noted that trade between both countries can be measured in both quantity and quality.

"The quantity says that the trade volume has increased by four times during the past 10 years after the Sino-Chile free trade agreement period. The quality means the trade products become more diversified and our superior products have respectively entered into their prior market. The long-term friendly cooperation relations have also helped more Chilean products enter the Chinese market. "

Chilean products including wine, fruit and seafood have all achieved great success and high growth rates in the Chinese market.

The overall bilateral trade value was nearly 32 billion U.S. dollars last year.

Chilean Ambassador to China Jorge Heine hoped that a maturing bilateral FTA will cover more services and sectors in the future.

"Now our trade mainly involves commodities, as was covered by the FTA signed in 2005. Now we are turning to services. We want to cover things like e-commerce, financial service, government purchase and competition policies in the new version of FTA. In general, we want the FTA to be better aligned with the development of the world economy."

He also urged that the bilateral relationship should not be limited to trade and economy, but also other fields such as culture and people-to-people exchanges.

For CRI, I'm Xie Cheng.