China is playing an increasingly important role in international affairs and Chile will enhance cooperation with China in a variety of areas, Chilean President Sebastian Pinera said Wednesday.

"There's no doubt that China is emerging and has a greater say on the international stage," Pinera said during a speech at the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

"China is playing a more and more important role in international affairs," Pinera said. "What it says at international organizations such as the UN, APEC and G20 is respected and paid attention to."

"In Chile, we admire the patience and wisdom the Chinese people have, which are very important for the international community," Pinera said.

He hoped that China could make important contributions to " a multipolar, participatory, integrative and more balanced world with less hegemony and based on dialogue."

"China, with its culture of thousands of years, its tradition and experience, will become a very important country that many others in particular Chile see with many hopes and expectations," Pinera said.

Pinera said Chile and China would together counter challenges in the new century based on cooperation and dialogue. The two countries would make joint efforts to promote the Doha Round of trade negotiations and reform of APEC, the IMF and UN, solve environmental issues such as global warming, and fight terrorism, drug trafficking, poverty and safeguard global peace.

Chile and China had witnessed close cooperation especially in economy and trade, since the two countries established diplomatic ties 40 years ago, Pinera said.

China had become Chile's biggest trade partner, after the two countries signed a free trade agreement (FTA) in 2005, Pinera said.

As the first country to recognize China's full market economy status, Chile was striving to become the first door for Chinese products and investment to enter South America.

However, Chile-China cooperation still had great potential, Pinera said. "Currently, Chinese investment in Chile has reached 85 million U.S. dollars while the Chilean investment in China is less than 200 million dollars. We hope the two countries can sign the investment agreement on China-Chile FTA as soon as possible."

Chile hoped to strengthen cooperation with China in political, cultural and social sectors and expand high-level exchanges.

In his speech, Pinera outlined Chile's experience in rescue efforts after the strong earthquake in February and the mine collapse in August and he thanked China for the help it gave to Chile in those disasters.

More than 600 people teaching or studying at the school, listened to Pinera's speech.

Pinera's visit to China from Nov. 15 to 17 is his first to the country since he took office in March.