State Councilor Yang Jiechi met on June 13 with Isabel de Saint Malo, Panama’s vice president and foreign minister.

China and the Latin American country signed a joint communiqué on June 13 on the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Yang said the establishment of diplomatic ties opens a new chapter for China and Panama.

He called for more pragmatic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between two countries, as well as multilateral communication and cooperation to benefit the two peoples and international community.

De Saint Malo said Panama’s decision to establish ties with China is in accordance with the fundamental interests of two countries and their people.

Panama is willing to cooperate more with China in areas of trade, investment, tourism and connectivity, said de Saint Malo, adding that Panama would like to become a portal of China-Latin America cooperation.