BUENOS AIRES, May 12 (Xinhua) -- Argentine President Mauricio Macri, who is bound for China for a state visit, will have a "successful" trip, China's ambassador was quoted by local media as saying on Friday.
Macri departed on Thursday night and will arrive in China on Sunday following a brief stopover in Dubai. He is expected to take part in the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation scheduled for May 14-15 in Beijing, and meet with high-level Chinese officials to explore more measures to strengthen pragmatic cooperation.
In an interview published by local daily La Nacion, Ambassador Yang Wanming said Macri's China visit will be defined "by many successes."
Since Macri took office in December 2015, China-Argentina ties have "deepened and expanded," Yang noted. "Up to now, there have already been two meetings (between Macri and Chinese) President Xi Jinping, during which they talked about various and profound issues."
Macri has been leading major economic reforms in one of South American's largest economies, said Yang.
"The change in Argentina is very notable, and significant. Above all, it is evident that the economic reform is underway and that has been successful and efficient in developing the economy," he said.
"We (China and Argentina) are working on several bilateral agreements and contracts, not just economic and trade, which will be a very important part, but also projects in different sectors, including politics, culture, education and sports," said Yang.
China is one of Argentina's largest trading partners and a main importer of its agricultural products.
The two countries celebrated the 45-year anniversary of the founding of diplomatic ties on Feb. 19, and have boasted a comprehensive strategic partnership since 2014.
In an earlier interview with Xinhua on Monday, Macri said his nation "needs good partners" and China can be "a very good partner for the future development of the country."
He added that few countries complement each other more than China and Argentina.
