China will support Peru in hosting the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting, Chinese President Xi Jinping said.

Xi told visiting Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski that China is ready to work with the Latin American country to make greater contributions to the Asia-Pacific and global economic growth through the APEC meeting.

The 24th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting will be held in Peru's capital city Lima in November. Kuczynski said Peru is looking forward to hosting a successful meeting with China's support.

Peru warmly welcomes Xi to attend the meeting and make a state visit to the country, according to a joint statement issued following the talks between the two heads of state.

Kuczynski is paying his first foreign visit to China from September 12 to 16. The visit shows the Peruvian people's admiration toward China for its achievements in independent development, Kuczynski told Xi.

Kuczynski was sworn in on July 28 after winning Peru's presidential race in June.

Xi held a red carpet ceremony to welcome Kuczynski ahead of their formal talks.

During the talks, Xi called on both countries to continue high-level contact and expand exchanges between governments, political parties, legislatures and at local levels to consolidate the political foundation for their long-term friendship.

He urged the two sides to enhance pragmatic cooperation in trade, energy, mining, infrastructure and other fields, fully implement the bilateral free trade agreement, and push forward cooperation in industrial capacity, investment, agriculture, green industry and new energy.

Xi also stressed that the two countries should strengthen ties in culture, education, media and law enforcement.

As for global issues, the Chinese president hopes both sides will maintain coordination and collaboration in global economic governance, climate change, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in order to safeguard the common interests of developing countries.

Xi pledged that China is willing to deepen cooperation in all directions with Peru as well as other Latin American nations.

For his part, Kuczynski said Peru is ready to strengthen ties with China in various areas, including cooperation on local economic governance and public infrastructure construction. ' According to the joint statement issued following the talks, China and Peru will continue to conduct a feasibility study on a railway project to link the Pacific to the Atlantic.

As for the South China Sea issue, Peru hopes disputes will be solved peacefully through dialogue and negotiation between parties directly concerned, said the joint statement.

(Xinhua News Agency September 13, 2016)