China ties to remain Argentina's priority: expert

No matter who wins Argentina's presidential elections Sunday, the South American country's relations with China will remain a priority for the government, an Argentine expert on international relations said Friday.

All the political parties competing for the nation's top office agree that the "strategic partnership" between the two countries is key to Argentina's development, Jorge Castro, who heads the Buenos Aires-based Institute of Strategic Planning, told Xinhua.

Ties with China have been strengthened in recent years by outgoing President Cristina Fernandez, whose term ends in December. Her successor will serve through 2019, but the existing legal framework lays the foundation for bilateral ties over the next 15 to 20 years, Castro noted.

"Cristina Fernandez's term is coming to a close, concluding a political cycle that began in 2003. However in no way does that imply a change in the priority status of the relationship," he said.

China is now Argentina's top beef importer. The two countries have also launched large-scale hydroelectric and nuclear energy projects with substantial investment in energy infrastructure. Endi