Government and industry representatives from China, Chile call for stronger bonds

The 20th Anniversary Annual Meeting of the China-Chile Business Council is held in Beijing on May 15, 2025. (Photo/Courtesy of the China Council for International Investment Promotion)

Government and industry representatives from China and Chile called for stronger ties, highlighting the great potential and complementarity between the two major trading partners, particularly in areas such as cherry trade, as the two countries mark the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 20th anniversary of the signing of their Free Trade Agreement (FTA) this year.

The remarks were made at the 20th Anniversary Annual Meeting of the China-Chile Business Council, jointly organized by the China Council for International Investment Promotion (CCIIP) and the Federation of Chilean Industry, held in Beijing on Thursday. The event drew hundreds of participants, including officials, envoys, and business representatives from both countries.

"This year is very important for us," Pablo Arriaran Ahumada, newly appointed Chilean Ambassador to China, said at the meeting, referring to the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 20th anniversary of the signing of the FTA.

"Chile is one of the countries with the most free trade agreements in the world, and we place great importance on our FTA with China," the ambassador said, noting that over the past 20 years, bilateral trade has grown significantly, and Chile's exports to China have become increasingly diversified, including energy, agricultural products and services. The Latin American country has also seen growth in some of its traditional exports, such as copper, to China.

Trade figures underscore the strong growth. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, bilateral trade cooperation has yielded fruitful results. Data from China's General Administration of Customs shows that China's trade with Chile reached 163.19 billion yuan ($22.65 billion) in the first four months of this year, a record high for the period. This represents a year-on-year increase of 5.4 percent, outpacing the growth rate of China's overall foreign trade by 3 percentage points, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Moreover, the China-Chile FTA has served as a strong catalyst for the growth of bilateral trade. Since its implementation, bilateral trade has expanded from 70.85 billion yuan in 2006 to 437.95 billion yuan in 2024, with an average annual growth rate of 11.2 percent, the report said.

Ivan Marambio, president of the Chilean Fruit Exporters Association, has keenly felt the strong trade development. "China remains our biggest and most important market for cherry exports… Last year, we sent 91 percent of our total cherry production here, which is by far our largest market, well ahead of the second-largest, the US, which accounted for just about 4 percent," he said.

Marambio told the Global Times at Thursday's meeting that if this turns out to be a good season, about 130 million five-kilogram boxes of Chilean cherries are expected to be delivered to China in the 2025-2026 season (from October 2025 to February 2026), representing a year-on-year increase of about 6 percent.

Other Chilean fruits such as plums and nectarines, also available in China, are becoming increasingly popular in the market, he said.

The Chilean Fruit Exporters Association is working with Chinese partners to expand the presence of Chilean cherries not only in first-tier cities but also in second- and third-tier cities, where there is growing demand for high-quality imported fruit.

Cherries are a prime example of stronger bilateral trade ties. Chile is now China's third-largest trading partner in Latin America, while China stands as Chile's largest trading partner globally.

Building on what has been achieved, Fang Aiqing, president of the CCIIP, said at Thursday's meeting that bilateral economic and trade relations have expanded from traditional sectors to more diverse and advanced areas.

In addition to traditional labor-intensive products such as agricultural goods and textiles, Fang said that high-tech products including machinery, electronics and transportation equipment have emerged as new engines of growth in bilateral trade in recent years, with strong potential going forward.

Also at Thursday's meeting, Li Yongjie, deputy international trade representative of the Ministry of Commerce, said that the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative serves as a major platform for promoting win-win cooperation between China and Chile, while the FTA remains the main engine driving the upgrading and expansion of bilateral economic and trade ties.

"The Chinese side is willing to share the dividends of its consumption upgrade, driven by a population of 1.4 billion, with enterprises around the world, including those from Chile... We hope to continue tapping the potential of trade cooperation and creating more star products in the Chinese market, like Chilean cherries, that bring benefits to people in both countries," Li said.