Some 20 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean will unite their Chinese friendship societies into a new regional federation for friendship with China on Saturday, Guillermo Penfold, head of the Foundation to Develop Relations with the Chinese People, said on Friday.

Penfold made the announcement in Buenos Aires, at the opening ceremony of the third conference of the Caribbean- and Latin America-China Friendship Societies.

The two-day meeting is taking place at the headquarters of Banco de la Nacion in Buenos Aires, Argentina's capital.

About 30 friendship societies from these countries were to formally launch the new federation at Saturday's session, he said.

Some 70 delegates will approve the new organization's charter. They will also reaffirm the one-China policy and their support for China's Anti-Secession Law.

Present at the ceremony were former Argentine President Raul Alfonsin and Cheng Siwei, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress and head of the China-Latin America Friendship Association.

Cheng said that China and the countries of the Caribbean and Latin America are enjoying good relations both in government-to-government and people-to-people aspects.

Thanking the friendly associations for enhancing bilateral friendship, Cheng said good ties between China and those nations had promoted the fast development of bilateral cooperation in politics, economy, business, culture, education and science.

The associations met last time in Bogota, capital of Colombia, in 2002.

(Xinhua News Agency November 28, 2005)