Chinese president arrives in Argentina for state visit, G20 summit

BUENOS AIRES - Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived here Thursday night to attend the 13th Group of 20 (G20) summit and pay a state visit to Argentina.

In a statement released upon his arrival, Xi extended greetings and best wishes to the Argentine people on behalf of the Chinese government and people.

"China and Argentina are sincere friends that trust each other and good partners that benefit each other," said Xi, adding that he is delighted to visit Argentina and meet his Argentine friends again.

The Chinese president made his first state visit to the South American country in 2014.

China and Argentina, Xi said, support each other's path of development, and stay committed to deepening friendly cooperation and strengthening coordination in international and regional affairs.

"I look forward to having extensive exchanges with President Mauricio Macri and people from all walks of life in Argentina, and jointly opening up a new era for the China-Argentina comprehensive strategic partnership," he said.

Noting that Argentina is the first South American country to host a G20 summit and this year marks the 10th anniversary of G20 summitry, Xi said the Buenos Aires summit is of great significance.

Wishing the summit a success, Xi said he stands ready to work together with Macri and all other leaders to uphold the all-in-the-same-boat spirit and steer the "boat" of the world economy from the La Plata River toward the wide oceans.

At the airport, Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, were warmly welcomed by Argentine Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie and other government officials.

Argentina is the second stop of Xi's Europe and Latin America trip from Nov 27 to Dec 5, which had taken him to Spain and also includes state visits to Panama and Portugal.