Chinese Vice President Zeng Qinghong arrived in Mexico City Sunday for a three-day official visit to Mexico at the invitation of the Mexican government.

Zeng said in a prepared airport statement that his visit is aimed at enhancing friendship, strengthening mutual trust, deepening cooperation and sharing common development.

During the visit, Zeng said, he will exchange views with President Vicente Fox and other Mexican leaders on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of shared concern.

"I am convinced that my current visit will yield positive results as expected and help further deepen the China-Mexico strategic partnership," he said.

China and Mexico cherish their traditional friendship, with Mexico being China's important cooperation partner in Latin America, Zeng said. He added that since the two established diplomatic ties 33 years ago, bilateral relationship has advanced smoothly and friendly cooperation has yielded fruitful results in various fields.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Mexican President Fox announced the establishment of a strategic partnership between the two countries during Wen's visit to Mexico in December 2003, indicating bilateral ties entered a new period, Zeng said.

In August last year, the two countries set up a committee and held its first session, laying down a solid foundation for bilateral cooperation in the new century, he added.

Zeng flew in here from Fiji, where he met with Fijian President Ratu Josefa Iloilovato Iluivuda and Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase during a stop-over there.

Mexico is the first leg of Zeng's first five-nation visit to Latin America and the Caribbean, which will also take him to Peru, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica.

Zeng is also scheduled to attend the opening ceremony of the first ministerial-level meeting of the China-Caribbean economic and trade cooperation forum on Feb. 2 in Kingston, capital of Jamaica.

(Xinhua News Agency January 24, 2005)