HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR CHINA-LATIN AMERICA RELATIONS

"I'm full of expectations about China-Latin America relations this year," Wang said in March.

Wang's expectations were based on the fact that China and Latin America have moved toward deeper mutual trust and cooperation in the past year thanks to exchanges of top-level visits, which opened a new horizon for bilateral relationship and contributed to the strengthening of South-South cooperation.

In April 2013, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto visited China during the Boao Forum in south China's Hainan Province. The forum, for the first time, established a panel for Latin America.

Barely two months later, Xi returned the favor by paying a visit to Mexico, during which the two countries elevated their ties to comprehensive strategic partnership.

Xi also visited Costa Rica and Trinidad and Tobago. During his stay in Trinidad and Tobago, Xi met leaders of eight Caribbean countries.

During Xi's visits to the three countries, China signed with them 24 agreements on cooperation in various fields.

Experts said Xi visited some countries that past Chinese presidents never visited, which showed China's willingness to deepen and broaden its ties with developing countries.

In fact, China and Latin America can enjoy a long-lasting relationship because their trade structures are highly complementary, which offer a wide range of cooperation opportunities beyond energy to include finance, agriculture, infrastructure, science and technology, aerospace and tourism, among others.

China has become a key partner for Latin America and the Caribbean as trade between China and the region grew 22-fold from 2001 to 2012, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean said in a report.

Meanwhile, the two sides also seek to promote mutual investment as they try to balance their economic exchanges.

By the end of 2013, 80 billion dollars had flown from China to Latin America, 13 percent of China's total global investment, creating much needed jobs in the region.

Besides, China and Latin America face common challenges during their development and both have to deal with issues such as rural-urban migration, sustainable development, environment protection and the widening wealth gap.

This year will also witness the first ministerial conference of the China-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) forum, which, according to Wang, will be "an important breakthrough" in bilateral relations.

Wang use a line to describe China's relationship with Latin America and the Caribbean: "Bosom friends from afar bring a distant land near."

"This year we face an important opportunity for taking this relationship to the next level," he said.