China, Peru to advance cooperation in industrial capacity, equipment manufacturing

China and Peru should make a forward-looking design, based on existing free trade arrangements, to advance their cooperation in industrial capacity and equipment manufacturing, visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said here Friday.

In talks with Peruvian President Ollanta Humala, Li called for comprehensive bilateral cooperation in such fields as oil, clean energy, mining, agriculture, forestry and fishery.

The Chinese side will capitalize on the competitiveness of its industrial capacity and superior technologies in railway, ports, electricity and telecommunications to actively participate in such big infrastructure projects as the proposed transcontinental railway, facilitate technology transfers and experience sharing, and help improve Peru's equipment manufacturing capability and job creation, he said.

He called for closer financial cooperation between the two sides to explore suitable financing methods, trade settlement in local currencies, and a currency swap scheme.

China-Peru cooperation in industrial capacity and equipment manufacturing is open to any third party with a goal to seek win-win and all-win results, Li said.

He voiced the hope that the Peruvian side could offer more support and convenience to Chinese enterprises in Peru.

The Chinese government attaches great importance to the comprehensive strategic partnership with Peru and will push for breakthroughs in bilateral cooperation on the basis of traditional friendship, Li said.

China will strengthen coordination with Peru in international and regional affairs, enhance exchanges between their cultures and civilizations, promote the common prosperity of both countries as well as developing nations, and jointly enrich the diversity of world civilizations, he added.

Humala said Peru highly values its relationship with China and is willing to make joint efforts with China to push forward their comprehensive strategic partnership.

The transcontinental railway connecting the Peruvian Pacific coast with the Brazilian Atlantic coast will be significant to Peru, Brazil and China as well as the regional economy, and that China's participation is indispensable, he said.

Peru welcomes China's investment in mining and other industries and transfer technologies to Peru, which will benefit Peru's industrialization, Humala said, adding that both sides could deepen cooperation in agriculture, fishery, housing construction and renewable energy and strengthen exchanges in education, tourism and culture.

After the talks, the two sides signed cooperation agreements on industrial capacity, energy, mining, infrastructure construction, quarantine, healthcare and aerospace.

The China-Peru trade volume reached 14.32 billion U.S. dollars in 2014 after bilateral free trade pact took effect in 2010. By the end of 2014, Chinese investment in Peru totaled 14.24 billion dollars.

Peru is the third leg of Li's four-nation tour to Latin America after Brazil and Colombia. He will also visit Chile. Endi