Interview: Week of Chile in China marks milestone in bilateral ties: official

The week of Chile scheduled for Aug. 23-28 in China will mark a new milestone in their bilateral relations, said a senior Chilean official on Wednesday.

"Currently, relations between the two nations are excellent. Now China is Chile's first trading partner both as a destination for our exports and in terms of commercial exchange, thanks to the Free Trade Agreement signed in 2006," said Diego Torres, head of the Asia and Oceania Department under Chile's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"It is important to highlight that the activities we will carry out at the end of this month in Shanghai and Beijing is unprecedented in the history of bilateral relations," said Torres.

The Chile Week will focus on deepening bilateral relations both at commercial and political level. The Chinese government has invited various ministries to the event, where business leaders and artists will also be present.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's visit to Chile in May "marked a turning point in our bilateral relations, especially because of the prospects that open up with Chinese investments in the country," said Torres.

During Li's visit, both governments signed a series of cooperation agreements, including a deal that eliminates double taxation in bilateral trade. This agreement will help increase investment in both countries, Torres told Xinhua.

In 2012, the relations between the countries were upgraded to a strategic partnership.

"Premier Li's visit meant the materialization of this strategic partnership and led to the first Economic Dialogue between the two countries," said Torres.

According to Torres, both sides have identified investment opportunities in Chile for over 20 billion U.S. dollars with a focus on infrastructure, mining, energy and farming. Endi