Shanghai Daily news

Chile signed its 2010 World Expo participation contract with China in Shanghai yesterday, becoming the first Latin American country to officially sign on.

The signing came as a Chilean government delegation, led by Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, visited Shanghai for two days as part of an ongoing Chilean Week in Shanghai.

Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng met Bachelet and her delegation yesterday at noon before the two sides witnessed Chile's Expo contract signing ceremony.

"We highly appreciate Chile's full support and active participation in the Shanghai Expo and wish Shanghai has a closer trade and economic partnership with Chile and Chilean entrepreneurs," Han said.

Bachelet, the first-ever woman Chilean president who is on her first visit to China after becoming president in 2006, arrived in the city on Monday evening and attended an entrepreneurs seminar in the city yesterday morning.

She delivered a speech at the seminar entitled "Chile, a Strategic Partner in Latin America," which focused on Chile's strategic partnership with China.

"Chile attaches great importance to developing bilateral ties with China, and we will also exert our advantages to serve as a platform for Chinese companies to enter Latin America," she said when talking with Han.

Chile was the first Latin American country to sign a free trade agreement and is the second-largest trading partner with China in the region.

As China's major port city, Shanghai's economic and trade volume accounts for about a third of the two countries' total. The city's trade volume with Chile increased by more than 100 percent last year, Han said.

Bachelet said in her speech that Chile needed to further expand its position in developing cooperation with China.

Shanghai was the third leg of the Chilean president's China visit.

The delegation returned to Chile yesterday evening.