Ecuador

President Xi Jinping called on China and Ecuador to take negotiations on the free trade agreement as an opportunity to deepen their practical cooperation as he met with Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso on Saturday.

In a joint statement on deepening the China-Ecuador comprehensive strategic partnership, the two sides agreed to launch negotiations on a bilateral free trade treaty.

Xi urged the two sides to continue to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and explore new growth areas such as healthcare and green development.

Lasso expressed gratitude for China's support amid the pandemic, saying that half of Ecuador's COVID-19 vaccines came from China.

Premier Li Keqiang also met with Lasso on Saturday.

In another development, Peng Liyuan, Xi's wife, met with Maria de Lourdes Alcivar, the first lady of Ecuador, and said joint efforts can be made to deepen cultural and people-to-people exchanges.