Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in Buenos Aires Tuesday to begin his first state visit to Argentina which he hopes will "enrich the content of China-Argentina full-range cooperative relations."

Hu met with Argentine President Nestor Kirchner on Tuesday and will meet parliamentary leaders of Argentina during his stay in the country. They are expected to discuss bilateral political ties and economic cooperation.

"China attaches great importance to its relations with Argentina, and is ready to work with the Argentine side to enrich its full-range cooperative relations," Hu said in a written speech upon arrival at the airport.

China and Argentina established full diplomatic relations in 1972. President Kirchner visited China earlier this year and the two sides signed a number of cooperative documents in areas of civil aviation, public health, culture, investment and agriculture.

The two sides are expected to sign a number of new cooperative documents during Hu's visit to Argentina.

Argentina is China's fourth largest trading partner in Latin America. Two-way trade reached US$3.176 billion last year, up 122 percent from the year before.

China mainly imported soybeans, bean oil, crude oil, leather and steel from Argentina, and exported computer, life science products, bulb and motorcycles, according to China's Ministry of Commerce.

Hu Jintao arrived in Buenos Aires, the Argentinean capital after concluding his state visit to Brazil. He will later visit Chile and Cuba.

(Xinhua News Agency, CRI November 17, 2004)