CCTV9英语新闻：智利与中国的贸易推动

Trade between Chile and China has grown dramatically in recent years, since the signing of the Free Trade Agreement in 2005. That's been mainly driven by copper exports, But Chile's agricultural exports are also now a major factor in the equation.

 

As his tour of Latin America drew to an end on Tuesday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang urged Chilean business leaders in Santiago to help drive forward trade between these two countries.

"The cooperation has broad prospect. I hope that business entrepreneurs from China and Chile can do what Latin Americans often say -- seizing today rather than seizing two tomorrows," Li said.

 

Michelle Bachelet highlighted that Chile, thanks to its geography, is a strategic trade partner for China.

 

"For Chile, the support of China is important to achieve the long hoped-for regional integration through interoceanic corridors , in that way we can consolidate Chile as a port, and as a bridge, towards Asia from Brazil to the coast of Chile," Bachelet said.

 

Agriculture, and in particular fruit, is one key export that Chile is aiming to strengthen. According to the Chilean Exporters Association, the country is largest fruit exporter in the southern hemisphere. Chile is expecting a sharp increase in the volume of trade with China over the next decade.

 

"What we think is that the pacific rim area will become the most important buyer of our fruits, China being the most important one. Nowadays, China is at least 50% of our exports to the pacific rim," Ronald Brown, president of Chilean Exporters Association, said.

 

Historically, copper has dominated trade between Chile and China, but prices for the red metal are down 40% since reaching a high point in 2011.

 

And the view from both sides of the Pacific is that these two countries must diversify economic ties. Given Chinese demand, and given Chilean potential growth in the sector, food, wine and agricultural products are a key component to this.

 

Over the course of Premier Li's visit to Santiago, both Chile and China have underlined the strength of the diplomatic ties between the two nations, a relationship both want to see extend -- to improve trade, and greater levels of investment.