China is ready to work with Chile to focus on high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and promote the continuous upgrading of bilateral practical cooperation, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Tuesday.

Li made the remarks when meeting with Chilean President Gabriel Boric in Beijing, who is in the capital city to attend the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and pay a state visit to China.

Li said China and Chile always adhere to mutual respect and mutual benefit, and the bilateral relations have long been at the forefront of Latin American and Caribbean countries' relations with China.

China is willing to work with Chile to act on the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, pass down the China-Chile friendship, advance cooperation between the two countries, and push the China-Chile comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level and make new achievements, the premier said.

China will expand and strengthen its cooperation with Chile in traditional areas such as agriculture, energy, mining and infrastructure, further increase the scale and level of trade, and jointly maintain the stability and smooth flow of global industrial and supply chains, Li noted.

The two countries will carry out financial cooperation such as investment and financing to provide strong support for promoting two-way trade and investment. Cooperation in emerging areas such as clean energy, digital economy and technological innovation will be actively explored to foster new growth engines for China-Chile cooperation and to improve the quality of development, Li said.

Boric said Chile adheres to the one-China principle, supports the Belt and Road Initiative, and is willing to consolidate cooperation with China in traditional areas such as agriculture and food, expand new areas of cooperation such as scientific and technological innovation, Antarctica and tourism, deepen people-to-people exchanges, and push for further development of bilateral relations.

Chile welcomes Chinese enterprises to invest in Chile and is willing to become a gateway for Chinese enterprises to enter Latin America, he said.

(With input from Xinhua)

(Cover: Chinese Premier Li Qiang (R) meets Chilean President Gabriel Boric in Beijing, China, October 17, 2023. /Xinhua)