The just-concluded visit by Chinese top national advisor Jia Qinglin, to four Latin American countries is fruitful, said an aide of Jia on Sunday.

The visit has attained the targets of strengthening exchanges, increasing understanding, deepening friendship and promoting cooperation, said Zheng Wantong, secretary-general of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

"This visit has injected new vigor into the all-round development of China-Latin America relations," said Zheng.

It will help promote political, economic and cultural ties between China and the four Latin American countries, Zheng said.

Jia, chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, visited Mexico, Cuba, Colombia and Uruguay on May 9-20.

"This is another important visit by a Chinese leader to Latin American countries and an important diplomatic activity to implement the broad consensus reached by President Hu Jintao with leaders of related Latin American countries," Zheng said.

During his visit, Jia exchanged views with leaders of the four countries on bilateral relations and other issues of common concern and reached consensus with them.

The visit has deepened political trust between China and the four countries and strengthened all-round development of bilateral relations, said Zheng.

In talks with leaders of the four countries, Jia stressed that Latin American countries and China, as developing countries, share broad common interests and there exist no conflicts in fundamental interests.

Jia told the leaders that under the present complicated and changing international situation, strengthening bilateral relations is conducive to the development of related countries and world peace and stability.

In response, leaders of the four countries all expressed their willingness to further promote bilateral relations with China in a long-standing, stable and constant way and to work with China for a better future of China-Latin America relations.

Jia also expounded China's stance on the Taiwan issue and introduced the important guidelines recently set forth by President Hu on improving and strengthening cross-Straits relations.

Leaders of the four countries reiterated their adherence to a one-China policy, their support for China's reunification and their opposition to "Taiwan independence."

Jia's visit has promoted the development of economic and trade cooperation between China and the four Latin American countries and opened up a broader prospect for their all-round development in a win-win situation, said Zheng.

Jia pointed out that China, economically, is not a rival to the four economies as they are highly complementary. Therefore, he said, one country's development is opportunity for another.

Leaders of the four Latin American countries pledged concrete measures to enhance cooperation with China in the areas of economy, trade, investment, civil aviation, tourism, energy and textiles.

Jia also used his visit to explain China's idea of peaceful development, said Zheng.

China will stay on the path of peaceful development, Jia stressed. Even if China gets more developed in the future, it will never seek hegemony, nor will it threaten any other country or harm any country's fundamental interests.

Leaders of the four countries agreed that China has become a dynamo of the world economy and China's development is of great significance to world peace and development, especially to the development of Latin America.

Jia's visit has enhanced exchanges and cooperation between CPPCC and parliaments of the four countries, and broadened mutual exchange channels, said Zheng.

Jia introduced China's multi-party cooperation and political consultation system under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), helping parliament leaders of the four countries to better understand the peculiar role the CPPCC is playing in China's political life and in promoting exchanges between China and the rest of the world.

All the parliament leaders of the four countries expressed their willingness to increase multi-level exchanges and cooperation with the CPPCC so as to deepen friendship between their peoples and promote all-round development of bilateral relations.

The CPPCC is China's top advisory body, consisting of representatives of the CPC, non-Communist parties, personages without party affiliation, and representatives from organizations, ethnic minorities and people of various social strata.

The main functions of the CPPCC are to conduct political consultation, exercise democratic supervision and participate in the discussion and handling of state affairs.

(Xinhua News Agency May 23, 2005)