A forum promoting cultural exchanges between China and Argentina was held in 
Beijing on Wednesday with senior officials from both countries pledging to 
advance the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind.

The China-Argentina High-Level Forum on Cultural Exchanges comes as the two 
countries celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic 
relations. Both Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Argentine counterpart 
Alberto Fernandez sent congratulatory letters to the forum.

For half a century, China-Argentina relations have endured tests posed by the 
changing international environment, exemplifying the unity and mutual 
development between developing countries and emerging economies, Xi said in his 
letter.

Noting the comprehensive and rapid development of bilateral ties reflects the 
vitality of China-Latin America relations, Xi voiced the hope that participants 
of the forum will pool their wisdom and build a consensus to help write a new 
chapter in the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership and contribute to 
the building of a community with a shared future for China and Latin America 
and mankind in the new era.

Fernandez said the much accomplished media cooperation between the two 
countries has raised mutual understanding between the two peoples, and he looks 
forward to the deepening of bilateral cooperation so as to further strengthen 
the China-Argentina strategic comprehensive partnership.

Over 100 representatives from China and Argentina attended the forum, which was 
jointly hosted by China Media Group and Argentina's Public Media of the Nation. 
It was one of a series of events in 2022 marking the friendship between the two 
countries.

The many understandings reached between the two countries, such as a 
cooperation agreement between Argentina's Buenos Aires Province and China's 
Sichuan Province, will further upgrade bilateral trade and financial 
collaboration, Argentine Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero said at the forum.

Buenos Aires and Sichuan are important economic provinces, Cafiero said, adding 
that their collaboration marks a great achievement in the China-Argentina 
strategic comprehensive partnership.

Fruitful cooperation, exchanges

China and Argentina established diplomatic ties in March 1972. Under the 
principles of the non-aligned movement, the two countries made significant 
progress in their pursuit of a cooperative agenda.

In 2004, the two countries signed a series of agreements, drastically boosting 
economic cooperation. Bilateral trade has grown rapidly during the past two 
decades, with China becoming Argentina's biggest trading partner in April 2020.

In November 2018, President Xi paid a state visit to Argentina where he also 
attended the Group of 20 Summit. Over 30 agriculture and investment deals were 
announced during that visit.

In a letter addressed to Xi in January 2022, Fernandez said countries should be 
united, respect and support each other against the pandemic disruptions, and 
commit to building a community with a shared future for mankind, a concept 
proposed by the Chinese president.

Fernandez later attended the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics in 
Beijing, where Chinese and Argentine officials also signed a Memorandum of 
Understanding (MoU) on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), making the Latin 
American country an official BRI partner.

In addition to the MoU, the two countries also signed cooperation documents in 
over 10 areas, including green development, the digital economy, aerospace, the 
BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, technological innovation and agriculture.

SOURCE: CGTN