国内英语资讯:Spotlight: China, Ecuador upgrade relations to comprehensive strategic partnership_时事

国内英语资讯:Spotlight: China, Ecuador upgrade relations to comprehensive strategic partnership

Alberto Acosta Burneo, editor-in-chief of the political and economic magazine Analisis Semanal, said that the new level of bilateral relations would strengthen cooperation in all areas, particularly economy and trade.

"This visit opens great expectations to find new sources of financing and cooperation. The commercial ties with China are very important. It (China) is a very important supplier of many goods for us, which is very positive," Acosta Burneo told Xinhua.

China has become Ecuador's third largest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching 4.1 billion U.S. dollars in 2017, quadrupling in just 10 years.

Chinese investment and financing in Ecuador have exceeded 10 billion dollars and have helped with hundreds of infrastructure projects, including highways and hydropower plants. This includes Coca Codo Sinclair, the country's largest hydropower plant in its northeast, which was inaugurated by the two presidents on Friday.

Around 100 Chinese companies are operating in Ecuador in fields such as oil and gas, mining and energy.

Fernando Casado, a researcher at the Institute of Higher National Studies, said that the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership marked an "important milestone."

"Raising the strategic partnership ... is part of the view that bilateral relations are continuously improving and, without a doubt, highlights the importance and impact that Chinese cooperation has on Ecuador," he told Xinhua.