CHINA: Argentine President Christina Fernandez meets China's Premier Wen Jiabao in Beijing on a state visit aimed at boosting ties and trade links

Record ID: 446237

  • Title: CHINA: Argentine President Christina Fernandez meets China's Premier Wen Jiabao in Beijing on a state visit aimed at boosting ties and trade links
  • Date: 15th July 2010
  • Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (JULY 14, 2010) (REUTERS) (*** FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ***) ARGENTINE PRESIDENT CHRISTINA FERNANDEZ WALKING UP AND SHAKING HANDS WITH CHINESE PREMIER WEN JIABAO WEN SMILING FERNANDEZ LOOKING UP AND TALKING WEN AND FERNANDEZ TALKING WEN SHAKING HANDS WITH ARGENTINE DELEGATES FERNANDEZ TALKING AS DELEGATES PASS WEN SHAKING HANDS WITH DELEGATES WEN, FERNANDEZ AND DELEGATES SEATED FOR TALKS WEN SPEAKING FERNANDEZ LISTENING ARGENTINE DELEGATES SEATED FERNANDEZ SPEAKING WEN LISTENING WEN AND FERNANDEZ SEATED, WEN SPEAKING PEOPLE LEAVING HALL IN BEIJING'S ZHONGNANHAI
  • Embargoed: 30th July 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China
  • Country: China
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVAC62F2QGMFQYKWEJFNINRQLY8I
  • Story Text: Argentine President Christina Fernandez meets China's Premier Wen Jiabao in Beijing on a state visit aimed at boosting ties and trade links.
    Argentine President Cristina Fernandez met with China's Premier Wen Jiabao in Beijing on Wednesday (July 14) during a state visit to China aimed at boosting ties and repairing trade relations.
    The two countries have agreed to invest about $10 billion over several years to renovate the Latin American country's dilapidated railway system and build a subway for its second-largest city.
    Argentina's once-extensive rail network was largely dismantled during the privatisations of the 1990s.
    But as agricultural output soars, farmers and grain elevators -- who send more than 80 percent of grains by costly road transport -- have been calling for investment to revive the railways.
    China in recent years has been dipping into its deep pockets to fund infrastructure projects in poor and emerging economies that bolster relations and often further Beijing's own economic goals by helping bring goods and raw materials to market faster.
    Fernandez, promoting her land-rich nation as a natural partner for commodity-hungry China, is seeking to resolve a Chinese freeze on imports of Argentina soyoil that has threatened a key hard-currency earner for Argentina.
    Fernandez, who will also travel to Shanghai later in the week, said on Monday (July 12) a deal on soyoil would come within days, but Chinese officials showed no hint of striking an agreement.
    China, the world's largest soyoil buyer, halted a cargo from Argentina in late March after the South American country imposed anti-dumping measures on some Chinese manufactured goods.
    Argentina's trade deficit with China had already widened to $1.2 billion last year from $700 million a year earlier.
    Separately, China and Argentina signed memorandums of cooperation between Chinese oil giant Sinopec and Argentina's state-owned utility Enarsa, and between Chinese hydropower contractor Sinohydro and Enarsa.
    No details were given.
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