MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

China is the main actor of the new global realities, Cristina tells Wen Jiabao

The two leaders at the reception

At a reception for visiting Chinese PM Wen Jiabao, President Cristina Fernández ratified the strategic alliance between China and Argentina and highlighted that “there are new global realities” of which Argentina wants to be part.

“Our nations share common goals such as peace and prosperity” said Cristina Fernandez with her cabinet on greeting PM Wen Jiabao, who arrived on Saturday for a two-day visit.

PM Jiabao recalled that back in 2004, then President Néstor Kirchner and his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao signed the a strategic association between both nations.

At a ceremony in the Bicentenary Museum at the Government House, the President also recalled the official reinstatement of diplomatic relations between both countries took place on February 19th, 1972.

“In these last 40 years the world has changed more than it did in the last 200. Having you here today is not only a great honour, it is also the acknowledgement of the new global realities in which Argentina wants to be an actor, and in which China is the main actor,” she said.

“We are joined by the same goals: achieving peace and prosperity for our people. It is important to make the GDP grow, but if that is not accompanied by social inclusion then you usually have problems,” she added.

Before closing, the President also thanked the premier and the Chinese government for supporting Argentina on its sovereignty claim over the Malvinas Islands.