Mexico and China promised on Tuesday to enhance the strategic partnership and promote cooperation on the basis of mutual benefit.  

The promise was made by Mexican President Vicente Fox and Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), during their meeting in Mexico City.

Fox told Jia that his government attaches great importance to the strategic partnership between Mexico and China and is willing to work together with China to further this relationship and enhance bilateral cooperation in international affairs.

Noting Mexico and China are complementary in economy and trade, Fox said he hopes both sides will strengthen bilateral cooperation in the fields of trade, investment and tourism. Mexico welcomes investment from Chinese enterprises, he added.

Fox said that during the recent years, the two countries have reached consensus in various fields through frequent high-level exchanges, effectively pushing forward the bilateral ties.

The two countries enjoy very good political relationship at present and the bilateral cooperation in the fields of economy and trade is quite fruitful, said Fox.

On his part, Jia said China appreciates the Mexican government's adherence to the one-China policy, and is ready to make joint efforts with Mexico to further the strategic partnership and enhance cooperation on the basis of mutual benefit.

He pointed out that China and Mexico, both developing countries, have respectively found the right path of development in conformity with the countries' situation.

Both China and Mexico have accumulated useful experience in economic and social development, and thus should learn from each other and increase exchanges so as to seek common development, Jia noted.

The bilateral relations between China and Mexico have developed smoothly since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1972, and the strategic partnership established in December 2003 indicated that the bilateral relationship has entered a new era of development, Jia said.

On Tuesday, Jia also met with former Mexican President Luis Echeverria Alvarez, who held the office from 1970 to 1976.

Jia arrived in Mexico Monday for a four-day official goodwill visit. Mexico is the first leg of Jia's four-nation Latin American tour, which will also take him to Cuba, Colombia and Uruguay.

The CPPCC is China's top advisory body, consisting of representatives of the Communist Party of China, non-Communist parties, personages without party affiliation, and representatives of people's organizations, national minorities and all social strata.

The main functions of the CPPCC are to conduct political consultation, exercise democratic supervision and participate in the discussion and handling of state affairs.

(Xinhua News Agency May 11, 2005)