China's first policy paper on Latin America issued last month showed that it attaches great importance to the region, Mexican Vice Foreign Minister Lourdes Aranda said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

"We think that it is very good that a global actor, like China, pays attention to Latin America and the Caribbean, because the nation from the Asia-Pacific has interest in the region," Aranda said.

China's policy paper defines with more clarity the level of relations that China wishes to have with the region, she said.

The document gives a more organized, consistent, realistic and integral

vision of the relationship, she added.

Mexico believes that China must be present at everything happening in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Mexican official said, adding that the presence of Chinese President Hu Jintao at economic leaders' informal meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Peru was very important.

On the current world financial meltdown, Aranda said Mexico and China should make a joint analysis about the causes of the crisis and the degree of the impact it would have on both countries, before they could decide how to cope with it in a coordinated way.

As for Mexico's trade links with China, Aranda said: "We will continue working to see how we can improve our exports to China, which obviously is a very important market."

On educational and cultural exchanges, Aranda said the Mexican government welcomes more Chinese students to Mexico to study.

Aranda also said her country will participate in Shanghai's World Expo in 2010.

(Xinhua News Agency December 11, 2008)