China and Argentina on Tuesday signed 18 agreements including a joint statement in Beijing during Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner's first state visit to China.

Chinese President Hu Jintao (6th R Back) and Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner (6th L Back) attend the signing ceremony of cooperation agreements between both countries in Beijing, capital of China, July 13, 2010. [Huang Jingwen/Xinhua]

After hour-long talks, Chinese President Hu Jintao and Kirchner witnessed the signing of 12 deals covering areas like transportation infrastructure, fisheries, energy, plant quarantine, and rail transport.

Three of the the agreements relate to the modernization of a freight rail line project in Belgrano city, Argentina.

Earlier Tuesday, Kirchner and Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu also oversaw the signing of six contracts on railway technology, and electrification of rail lines.

According to the contracts, China will provide an export buyer's credit to Argentina on locomotive purchases.

The two countries will also cooperate in Argentina's construction of a light rail system, subway construction and electrification of rail lines.

"The two sides spoke highly of the progress they had made in terms of cooperation in the fields of infrastructure and transportation," said the joint statement.

Kirchner, who had postponed her planned January visit due to domestic political reasons, said Argentina valued relations with China, and Argentina would forge mutually-beneficial trade ties with China.

Trade relations between China and Argentina have been expanding quickly over the past years. China's statistics showed that total two-way trade volume reached 14.39 billion U.S. dollars in 2008.

In the first four months of this year, the volume of bilateral trade exceeded 3.2 billion U.S. dollars, a 14.65 percent year-on-year increase, according to Argentina's National Institute of Statistics and Censuses.

"The two sides should enhance reciprocal trade cooperation and realize common development. China will work with Argentina to take measures to stabilize and expand bilateral trade and investment," said Hu in the talks, calling for cooperation on such fields as mining, communication, finance, infrastructure, oil and gas exploitation.

Hu said China supported diversity of Argentina commodities and welcomed more Argentine companies and commodities to enter the Chinese market.

Hu and Kirchner both pledged to lift the two countries' strategic partnership to a higher level.

China and Argentina established diplomatic ties in 1972. They decided to establish a strategic partnership during President Hu's visit to Argentina in 2004.

Argentina would make joint efforts with China to push forward bilateral ties, said Kirchner.

Hu said China would promote dialogue and communications with regional organizations in Latin America in a bid to facilitate China-Latin America relations.

In the three-page joint statement, China reiterated its support for Argentina's sovereignty claim to the Malvinas Islands, and restarting relevant negotiations and seeking a peaceful solution to the issue in accordance with UN resolutions.

Argentina said it would follow the one-China policy and support the peaceful development of relations across the Taiwan Strait and China's endeavor for national reunification.

Kirchner will meet with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and top political advisor Jia Qinglin on Wednesday before traveling to Shanghai for the World Expo.