国内英语新闻:Chinese vice premier's Spain visit to boost partnership: official

MADRID, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Vice Premier Li Keqiang's visit to Spain will vigorously boost the development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Spain, and turn a new chapter of bilateral trade and economic cooperation, a Chinese official said here on Wednesday.

Gao Hucheng, China's international trade representative and vice minister of commerce, told reporters in Madrid that Li's ongoing Europe tour is the first foreign trip by Chinese leaders in 2011 and the choice of Spain as the first leg demonstrates the importance that China has attached to its ties with Spain and its strong will to promote cooperation with Spain.

Li arrived here Tuesday for a three-day official visit to Spain. He will later visit Germany and Britain in his three-nation Europe tour.

Gao hailed the ever closer trade relations between China and Spain, their increasing two-way investments and new progress in their cooperation in major projects such as in the energy field.

Gao said both sides have been deepening cooperation in some traditional areas like finance and telecommunication, and making new achievements in new energy and brand cooperation.

During Li's visit to Spain, the two sides signed a series of agreements on economic and trade cooperation in the financial, petroleum and chemical, renewable energy, nuclear power equipment and food sectors, he said, adding that the deals are worth 7.5 billion U.S. dollars.

Vice Premier Li, whose entourage included more than 80 entreprenurs, Wednesday delivered a speech at a breakfast attended by Chinese and Spanish entreprenurs.

The address augmented the confidence of the two countries' enterprises in bilateral cooperation in coping with the global financial crisis, and the expansion of bilateral economic and trade cooperation, Gao said.

As a long-term strategic partner of the European Union (EU), China supports the measures Spain and other EU countries have taken to stabilize its economy and financial markets, and it has confidence in Spain's and the EU's financial markets, he said.

After the outbreak of the sovereign debt crisis in Europe, Gao said, China has kept buying national bonds of Spain and other EU nations, helping EU countries weather the crisis with concrete efforts.

Gao expressed his belief that with concerted efforts by the EU and the international community, Spain and other EU nations will eventually tide over the crisis and achieve full economic recovery.