国内英语新闻:Chilean president, Chinese State Councilor meet on relations

SANTIAGO, Chile, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Chilean President Sebastian Pinera and visiting Chinese State Councilor Liu Yandong met here Wednesday to discuss the development of relations between their two countries since the establishment of diplomatic ties 40 years ago.

Pinera said that Chile was the first South American country to establish diplomatic relations with China. The past 40 years have witnessed steady development of bilateral relations, and close exchanges and fruitful achievements in cooperation in various fields.

The Chilean side attaches great importance to the development of comprehensive cooperative partnership with China and sticks to "one China" policy, President Pinera said, adding that Chile is willing to work with China to continue developing and deepening the mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation in education, science and technology and other fields to benefit the two peoples.

Chilean President Sebastian Pinera (L) meets with visiting Chinese State Councilor Liu Yandong in Santiago, Chile, Dec. 22, 2010.

Liu said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Chile on December 15, 1970, China-Chile relations have developed in a sustainable and in-depth way, with the maintenance of close contacts between the two sides, and with increasingly deepening development of bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

China and Chile have maintained coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs, Liu said, calling China and Chile "good friends and good partners".

China is willing to join hands with Chile in promoting incessant development of China-Chile comprehensive cooperative partnership, with the occasion of marking the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations as a fine opportunity.

Liu put forward a three-point proposal for deepening exchange and cooperation in humanistic sectors between China and Chile:

Firstly, efforts should be made to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in scientific-technological innovation, and give a full play to the role of bilateral cooperation mechanisms including the mixed committee on science and technology, in order to upgrade bilateral scientific-technological cooperation.

Secondly, rich and colorful cultural exchange and cooperation should be developed in an in-depth way. In this endeavor, the two countries need to keep exploring new ways and channels of cooperation, in order to promote China-Chile cultural exchange and cooperation to a higher level.

And thirdly, efforts should be made to further increase bilateral educational exchange and cooperation to promote China-Chile friendship.

On the same day, Liu also met with the Chilean Education Minister Joaquin Lavin and Director of Chilean National Science and Technology Commission Jose Aguirela, exchanging views with them on strengthening cooperation in the fields of education and science and technology between China and Chile.

Liu also attended a cerenomy for signing documents on bilateral educational and scientific-technological cooperation.