China firmly supports Chile's participation in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and is ready to cooperate closely with Chile on trade and investment, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday during his visit to Chile.

China is willing to work with Chile to foster new economic growth driver, such as scientific and technological innovation and the digital economy and make Chile an important hub of BRI, said Wang in a joint press conference with his Chilean counterpart Teodoro Rivera, following a meeting of BRICS foreign ministers in Brazil.

China firmly supports Chile in hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting scheduled in Santiago this November, hosting the UN Climate Change Conference and playing a bigger role in regional cooperation, Wang said.

China is an important member of APEC and a staunch advocate, supporter and promoter of Asia-Pacific economic cooperation, Wang said in an interview with Chile's El Mercurio newspaper.

China expects the upcoming APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Santiago to promote regional economic integration, advance the building of the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, and encourage APEC to send a positive signal of promoting free and open trade and investment, supporting the multilateral trading system, and opposing protectionism, said Wang in the interview.

Noting next year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries and Chile is the first South American country to establish diplomatic ties with China and the first country to recognize China's full market economy status, Wang added that time has proven that China and Chile are trustworthy friends and good partners of win-win cooperation.

With the consistent achievements having made on bilateral cooperation in recent years, the two sides should take the opportunity of upgrading the China-Chile Free Trade Agreement to push bilateral economic, trade and investment cooperation to a new level, Wang Yi said in his talk with Teodoro on Monday.

Chile attaches great importance to and fully participates in the joint construction of BRI to deepen bilateral cooperation in a wide range of fields including scientific and technological innovation and drive the overall cooperation between China and Latin American countries, Teodoro said.

Wang Yi also met with Chilean President Sebastian Pinera in Santiago Saturday. The two sides agreed to strengthen bilateral ties, promote free trade and uphold multilateralism.

China is committed to upholding the international system with the United Nations at its core, the international order based on international law, the multilateral trading system represented by the World Trade Organization, and the common interests and legitimate rights and interests of developing countries and emerging economies, said Wang.

Chile firmly upholds multilateralism and free trade and opposes protectionism in any forms, the Chilean President said.

Wang Yi also met with Alicia Bárcena on Saturday, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, and the two sides exchanged views on jointly building BRI and promoting overall cooperation between China and Latin America and Caribbean countries.

China-Latin America cooperation never excludes or targets any country, nor does it have any geopolitical considerations, let alone the so-called strategic game, Wang added in the interview.

(Cover: Wang Yi shakes hands with Teodoro Rivera in a joint press conference in Santiago, Chile, July 28, 2019. /Photo via Chinese Foreign Ministry website)