Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Minister Roberto Velasco met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Monday, marking Velasco’s first official trip to the Asian country and signaling hope for improved political and economic cooperation amid an ongoing trade dispute.

The visit to China takes place under the shadow of trade tensions stemming from the tariffs Mexico applied in January to imports from countries without a free trade agreement, including China.

The package modified duties for 1,463 tariff lines across 17 sectors — with rates of up to 50%. Beijing has questioned the decision, while Mexican authorities maintain that it is not directed at any particular country.

However, a statement issued by the Foreign Affairs Ministry (SRE) downplayed the trade topic, instead describing the meeting as an opportunity to discuss mechanisms for strengthening political, economic, cultural and academic exchanges between Mexico and China. 

Velasco highlighted the Mexican government’s readiness to maintain a constructive relationship with China, based on mutual respect, equal sovereignty and non-interference. 

The Mexican official proposed strengthening the political consultation mechanism between the two foreign ministries in order to maintain communication and make progress on concrete agreements.

The areas of cooperation highlighted by Mexico include health, education, scholarships, science, technological innovation, the environment, rural development, and cultural exchanges. 

The SRE indicated that both parties examined options to expand ties in these areas and leverage existing opportunities for collaboration.

During the meeting, Velasco highlighted coordination between Mexico and China in multilateral forums, including the Group of 20 (G-20) and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. He also acknowledged China’s role as host of the upcoming APEC leaders’ summit, scheduled for November in Shenzhen.

Regarding culture, Velasco noted that artistic exchanges offer valuable opportunities to deepen mutual understanding between the two peoples and highlighted the exhibition “On Top of the World Tree: Ancient Civilizations of the Americas” at the Shanghai Museum, which brings together nearly 3,000 archaeological and artistic pieces from Mexico.

Velasco’s trip to China includes the inauguration of the Mexican Consulate in Chongqing, one of the major cities in the western part of the country.

With reports from La Silla Rota