Xi’s presence at the inauguration ceremony “shows the great level of importance that China attaches to China-Mexico relations,” said the spokesman of the Chinese Foreign Ministry
Chinese President Xi Jinping will travel to Mexico City to attend the inauguration of the new president, leftist Andrés Manuel López Obrador, on Saturday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.
Xi’s presence at the inauguration ceremony “shows the great level of importance that China attaches to China-Mexico relations,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang during a press conference.
Both countries are “strategic partners, enjoy close and high-level exchanges as well as political confidence,” he added.
China tries to strengthen economic relations with other countries since its relationship with the United States faces new commercial tensions.
Before traveling to Mexico, the Chinese leader will meet with US President Donald Trump at the G20 summit in Buenos Aires.
Just a few days before the meeting, Trump promised to impose tariffs on all remaining imports from China if both sides could not reach an agreement, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Trump has already imposed tariffs on Chinese goods worth 250 billion dollars – about half of the total imported each year – in an attempt to pressure the country to eliminate alleged unfair trade practices.
In October, the Trump government reached an agreement with Canada and Mexico to reform the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) after arduous negotiations.
The new pact, called the Mexico-United States-Canada Agreement (USMCA), even contains a provision that prohibits any free trade agreement between its signatories and Beijing.
Source: El Economista
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