China-Chile relations

• On December 15, 1970, Chile became the first country in South America to establish formal diplomatic relations with China. In 2004, the two countries formed a comprehensive partnership of cooperation. In 2012, the relationship was upgraded into a strategic partnership.

• The two countries enjoy close exchanges at many levels. Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Chile counterpart Michelle Bachelet met in July last year on the sidelines of the China-Latin America and the Caribbean Summit in Brazil. Bachelet also paid a state visit to Beijing in November while attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting.

• Economic cooperation and trade between the two countries has continued to deepen. China remains Chile’s largest trading partner and largest export destination. Chile is China’s third-largest trading partner and largest supplier of copper in Latin America. Bilateral trade was worth $34 billion last year, according to statistic from Chinese customs. Cooperation between the two countries in fields as agriculture, new energy and infrastructure has progressed.

• China and Chile have held 13 rounds of political consultations since they launched the mechanism in 1988. The two countries have facilitated 13 pairs of sister provinces/cities. The two countries work together closely at the United Nations, APEC and other international organizations and multilateral mechanisms.

• Fruitful results were reached in cultural cooperation and people-to-people exchanges. In 2013, the South American Astronomic Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the China-Chile Joint Research Center for Astronomy, China’s first overseas astronomic research institution, was established in Chile. Activities of Chinese Culture Week were held in many places in Chile.

• Military-to-military cooperation between the two countries has been further enhanced. A Chinese naval fleet visited Chile and held a joint military exercise with the Chilean navy in 2013.