Argentine expert hails China as "preeminent trade, financial partner"

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with his Argentine counterpart Mauricio Macri who came to Hangzhou to attend the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province, Sept. 3, 2016. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

BUENOS AIRES, (Xinhua).- China is Argentina's "preeminent trade and financial partner" nowadays, an Argentine expert on international relations has said.

Mariano Turzi, a professor of international relations and the director of the Asia Department at the University of Torcuato Di Tella in Buenos Aires, made the comment in an editorial with the prestigious daily Clarin on Monday.

"China not only represents a preeminent trade and financial partner, (but also) will increasingly be an international player around which internal political players will position themselves," wrote Turzi.

The two countries have established a comprehensive strategic partnership, with China being Argentina's second largest trading partner and the leading destination for its agricultural exports.

As the political climate in Latin America and China's transformation and opening up evolve, the Asian giant increasingly represents "an economic structure to complement with ours," said Turzi.

"The way we understand China will also be an indication of the way in which we understand the world," he added.

Argentine President Mauricio Macri has underscored the "enormous importance" and "complementarity" of ties with China in an interview with Xinhua before the G20 Summit that was held in Hangzhou, eastern China, early this month.