State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan met in Beijing Tuesday with a delegation of senior Latin American and Caribbean diplomats.

Tang said that China, Latin American and Caribbean countries are all developing countries and that the continuous improvement of ties with developing countries, including those in the Latin American and the Caribbean region, is one of the planks of China's foreign policy.

He said that bilateral relations have developed well in recent years through the joint efforts of the two sides, expressing the hope that China and countries in the Latin American and the Caribbean region could further develop friendly and cooperative relations of long-term stability, equality and mutual benefit.

Tang also stressed that China will adhere to the path of peaceful development, adding that the country's development will provide opportunities for countries in the region and contribute to their economic recovery.

The delegation, composed of 20 diplomatic representatives, was here at the invitation of the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs.

(Xinhua News Agency October 19, 2005)