A logistics worker transports imported Chilean cherries by forklift at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on November 20, 2024. Photo: Courtesy of China Eastern Airlines

Chile and China share a strong relationship, with both sides working to ensure stable trade flows amid global uncertainty and considering ways to expand trade, Rodrigo Yañez, secretary-general of the Federation of Chilean Industry (SOFOFA) and a former vice trade minister of Chile, said in an interview with the Global Times.

Yáñez recently visited China with a delegation of government and industry representatives, following the visit of Chilean President Gabriel Boric to China last week.

This is his 10th visit to China. Every time he came, he has observed the growing importance of expanding cooperation between the two countries. "Chile is a small country, but very open to the world. We want to explore what new opportunities are available here," he said.

In provinces like Southwest China's Sichuan Province, where Chile opened a consulate in Chengdu, the provincial capital, a few years ago, becoming the first Latin American country to do so, "we are exploring opportunities in trade in services, a new frontier for us," he said.

Noting that Chile has been working to improve productivity for some time, Yañez said that technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), which are widely discussed in China, could help enhance efficiency in manufacturing and other industries.

"We've had the chance to learn a lot about China's advancements in AI and innovation across various sectors… Personally, I'm still taking the early steps in adopting AI in my daily work life. But it's clear that the development of algorithms - how fast it happens and how cost-effective it can be - is extremely important," he said, adding that China's work in AI applications is interesting, citing DeepSeek as an example.

There is strong complementarity between China and Chile - for example, in biopharmaceuticals and biotechnology, Yañez said, noting that Chile is advancing in these areas and looking to strengthen value chain cooperation in vaccines, including the local production by Chinese companies.

Rodrigo Yañez, secretary-general of the Federation of Chilean Industry (SOFOFA) and a former vice trade minister of Chile Photo: Yin Yeping/GT

Data also highlight the robust trade momentum between China and Chile. Bilateral trade totaled 163.19 billion yuan ($22.6 billion) from January to April, up 5.4 percent from a year ago, setting a new record for the period. The growth rate outpaced China's overall foreign trade growth by 3 percentage points, data from China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) showed.

One highlight of the bilateral trade is cherries. China imported cherries worth 17.54 billion yuan from Chile, accounting for 16.2 percent of its total imports from the Latin American country during the period, according to the GAC data.

China is definitely one of Chile's most important partners, given its size, the sophistication of its markets, and its growing commitment to sustainability, Yáñez said, adding that both Chile and China believe in free and fair trade and a rules-based trading system. 

"That's an area where we can do even more together," he said. "We want to expand our trade, continue what we're doing, and explore new ideas to make our relationship with China more resilient, while also strengthening ties with other countries in Asia."