China and Spain issued a joint communiqué on Tuesday pledging to enlarge two-way investments, rounding off Chinese President Hu Jintao's state visit to Spain. 

China and Spain agreed on Tuesday to cement cooperation in economic and cultural fields as part of their efforts to push Sino-Spanish relations forward greatly.

According to the communiqué, the two countries will fully exploit the functions of the Sino-Spanish Mixed Committee of Commerce and Trade to enlarge two-way investment.

They pledged to support Chinese and Spanish enterprises cooperating in sectors such as the environment, energy, the civil service, arts and culture, the media, infrastructure, telecommunications, traffic, commerce, tourism and health care.

They expressed a willingness to tackle frictions and disputes through dialogue and consultation and beef up cooperation in other regions of the world, Latin America in particular.

The two countries also stressed that they respect cultural differences and back the setting up of a communications channel to enhance mutual knowledge and understanding.

The agreement relating to the setting up of the Cervantes Institute in China and the Confucius College in Spain was also applauded.

Spain will open cultural centers in China and vice versa, according to one of the 16 bilateral accords inked during Hu's visit.

The two countries are ready to realize the goal that China will hold a Year of Spain, and Spain will, in turn, host a Chinese art festival in 2007.

Spain is the third leg of Hu's four-nation Europe-Asia trip, which has already taken him to Britain and Germany.

Hu will next visit South Korea to attend the Economic Leaders' Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) scheduled for November 18 and 19 in Busan.

(Xinhua News Agency November 16, 2005)