Chinese President Xi Jinping suggested Wednesday that Peru and Brazil join his country in forming a work group to promote their cooperation on a planned railway across the South American continent.

During a meeting with Peruvian President Ollanta Humala, Xi noted that the three countries will issue a joint statement later in the day on the railway project, which will run all the way from the Peruvian Pacific coast to the Brazilian Atlantic coast.

The Chinese president proposed that a trilateral work group be established to navigate their cooperation in all related aspects, including the planning, design, construction and operation of the transcontinental rail.

China, Xi said, attaches great importance to the mutually beneficial cooperation in infrastructure construction with Latin American countries, and stands ready to maintain communication with Peru and Brazil on the particular project.

Xi is in Brasilia for a state visit to the South American country, where he has taken part in the sixth summit the emerging-market bloc of BRICS and is also scheduled to attended a China-Latin America summit.

Brazil is the first leg of Xi's ongoing Latin America tour, which will also take him to Argentina, Venezuela and Cuba.