San Francisco, California; November 16, 2023.- Today, during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Week, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico met with President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China to review the bilateral agenda and the priorities of the two countries’ relationship. This was the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders.
They emphasized that both Mexico and China come from great civilizations with ancient cultures, have thriving and diverse societies, and are open to trade. We are peoples with history, culture, and ethnic diversity, who are committed to international solidarity and cooperation and, for this reason, we understand each other and have consolidated our friendship.
They both welcomed the progress of the bilateral relationship in recent years on the political, economic, educational, cultural and cooperation fronts, and confirmed their willingness to revitalize the ties that, in February 2023, had existed for more than five decades.
President López Obrador thanked the Chinese government and society for their expressions of solidarity and assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic and, recently, for their support in the aftermath of Hurricane Otis. The two leaders agreed to give top priority to strengthening their cooperation to address the impact of the hurricane in Guerrero, in order to provide relief to the families affected as soon as possible.
The Mexican President mentioned the challenges shared by both countries, and the need to exchange information and lessons learned in the fight against the illicit trafficking of precursor chemicals. He emphasizing the importance of reaching an agreement to exchange information on shipments leaving Asia. President Xi welcomed the recent creation of the Mexico-China Working Group on Precursor Chemicals and Counter-Narcotics Cooperation.
On global issues, both leaders exchanged views and agreed that strengthening multilateralism, international law and cooperation are the best ways to face the challenges to international peace and security, while rejecting unilateral actions.
President López Obrador invited President Xi Jinping to visit Mexico in the coming months.
Ten years after the establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which began in 2013, the political dialogue, economic exchanges and bilateral and multilateral cooperation have deepened.
China is Mexico's second largest trading partner worldwide and ranks first in the Asia-Pacific. From January 1999 to December 2022, Mexico received a total of US$2.161 billion in foreign direct investment from China.
The two presidents conducted a frank and friendly dialogue and reaffirmed the importance of deepening cooperation, both bilaterally and in multilateral forums, including the dialogue between the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) and China.
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