Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a phone conversation with Panamanian Foreign Minister Erika Mouynes on Tuesday, in which both hailed the establishment of diplomatic relations between their two countries as the right decision. 

Wang said China sees Panama as an equal partner for strategic cooperation and has put the country in an important position in China's diplomacy towards Latin America. The establishment of diplomatic relations four years ago was in the fundamental and long-term interests of both countries, able to withstand the test of time and history, he added. 

Mouynes underlined that China has become an important strategic partner of Panama and Latin America at large.

Wang noted that China appreciates Panama's adherence to the one-China principle, the political foundation of the bilateral ties, and that it will continue to support Panama's efforts to defend its legitimate rights and interests on the international stage, including its sovereignty over the Panama Canal.

He said China-Panama cooperation was South-South cooperation, meaning mutual support and assistance between developing countries, and added that China has never sought any geopolitical interests in the Latin American region. 

According to official data, China has become Panama's largest trading partner, with bilateral trade volume increasing by 27.2 percent and Panama's exports to China going up by 187 percent in the first 10 months of this year.

The two sides should strengthen the docking of development strategies and promote practical cooperation, Wang said.

Mouynes, for her part, noted that Panama-China relations have broad prospects with great potential and room for cooperation, and that her country looks forward to further strengthening bilateral relations with China while deepening practical cooperation in such fields as economy and trade, as well as logistics.

The Panamanian government announced that the Chinese Lunar New Year will be designated as a national holiday from 2022, and Spring Festival celebrations will be included in the country's international tourism promotion plan, demonstrating Panama's desire to further promote the Chinese culture, Mouynes said. 

(With input from Xinhua)

(Cover: The Panama booth at the first China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, China, November 6, 2018. /Xinhua)