Valenzuela also expressed his hopes that the US would cooperate with China in disaster relief.

"Indeed, disaster response is one of the topics that we have discussed with the Chinese government where we might be able to cooperate in Latin America and the Caribbean ..." he said.

Chinese experts said the US gesture was a positive move.

Valenzuela's remarks "showed that the US wants to include China into its Western Hemisphere system," said Sun Hongbo, an expert on Latin American studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The US wants China to help in areas such as social inequality, poverty and security issues, Sun said.

Qi Fengtian, a colleague of Sun, said that Valenzuela's remarks were conducive to strengthening mutual trust.

Relations between Beijing and Washington are stable as a whole, he noted, despite recent disputes on issues ranging from the ongoing US-South Korea navy drill in the Yellow Sea, to territorial disputes between China and some Southeast Asian nations in the South China Sea.

China's trade with Latin American countries accounts for just 5 percent of its trade worldwide, compared with 40 percent for the US, Valenzuela said.

"We look forward to an increase in China's interest in Latin America, greater investment in Latin America, greater trade with Latin America," he said.

Valenzuela is scheduled to travel to Shanghai and visit Expo.