On September 5, 2006, Wu Bangguo, Chairman of the Standing Committee of National People's Congress (NPC), arrived in Santiago, capital of Chile, for an official goodwill visit to the country at the invitation of Senate President Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle and President of the Chamber of Deputies Antonio Leal Labrin of the Republic of Chile.

At 6:00 pm, local time, Wu's special plane landed at Santiago International Airport. Top officials from the Chilean Foreign Ministry and Chinese Ambassador to Chile Li Changhua went aboard to welcome Wu. Wu and his wife Zhang Ruizhen went out of the cabin door to wave greetings to the welcoming crowd and they shook hands and exchanged greetings with Chilean officials who were waiting in front of the ladder of the plane.

Representatives from the Chinese Embassy in Chile presented flowers to Wu and his wife. Dozens of Chilean children in Chinese traditional costumes lined up by the ladder of the plane to welcome the guests.

In his written speech delivered at the airport, Wu said Chile was the first country in South America to establish diplomatic ties with China. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1970, China and Chile have been engaged in close cooperation in all areas. Recent years have witnessed in-depth development of comprehensive cooperative partnership, growing political trust, sound momentum of economic and trade exchanges, deepened cooperation in science, technology, health and tourism and dynamic people-to-people contacts between the two countries.

Wu said the purpose of his current visit is to further consolidate and improve the existing friendly relations between the two countries and push for pragmatic cooperation for the benefit of the two peoples.

This is the first visit to Chile by a chairman of the NPC Standing Committee. During the visit, Wu will meet with Chilean leaders and exchange in-depth views with them on bilateral ties and major issues of common interest. He will also attend the China-Chile economic and trade forum, where he will deliver an important speech.

Other accompanying officials arrived by the same plane. Among those who welcomed Wu at the airport were the staff of the Chinese Embassy in Chile and representatives from Chinese-funded institutions and overseas Chinese.

Wu arrived in Santiago by plane on September 5, local time, after successfully concluding an official goodwill visit to Uruguay. Top officials from the Uruguayan government and national congress, the staff of the Chinese Embassy in Uruguay and representatives from Chinese-funded institutions and overseas Chinese saw Wu off at the airport upon his departure from the capital of Uruguay Montevideo.