SANTIAGO - Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping's official visit to Latin America was called significant for the entire region by Chile's leading newspaper Monday.

"China's sight in Latin America is pragmatic," El Mercurio said, adding that one of the reasons why Latin America was not directly affected by the world economic crisis is its growing trade relations with China.

China has become one of the main destinations for many Latin American countries' exports, and China is Chile's main trading partner, the newspaper said.

"Xi emphasized that the main links between both countries must be based on reciprocal respect, sincerity and trust," El Mercurio said, referring to Xi's speech at the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

The newspaper also referred to the Chinese vice president's emphasis on international coordination efforts, and then went on to refer to China's relationship with other Latin American countries.

"In Uruguay, the main interest of China is in the area of agriculture, where out of the $530 million signed in agreements in Montevideo, practically half of them are related to sales of soy beans, wool and milk products," it said.

"In Cuba, where China is the second trade partner after Venezuela, Xi Jinping agreed to grant millions worth of credits without charging interest rates and providing support in different areas, mainly oil exploration," El Mercurio said.

During Xi's visit to Chile, a series of cooperation agreements on agriculture, finance, and mining were signed.