BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping gave a joint written interview to the media of Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica and Mexico ahead of his state visits to the three countries.

The following is the full text of the interview:

Q: What is the significance of your forthcoming visit to Latin America and the Caribbean? What are your expectations for closer relations between China and the Latin American and Caribbean countries?

A: I visited Latin America and the Caribbean region back in 2009 and 2011 in the capacity of China' s Vice President. The warm hospitality of the friendly Latin American people and their profound goodwill towards the Chinese people left a deep impression on me.

My upcoming visit will be my first trip to Latin America after becoming the President. The purpose of the visit is to deepen the traditional friendship between China and Latin America and expand their mutually beneficial cooperation. During the visit, I will have in-depth exchanges of views with leaders of Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica and Mexico on ways to strengthen respective bilateral relations and China-Latin America ties in general and make extensive contacts with people from various communities in these countries. I am confident that the visit will give a strong boost to the China-Latin America comprehensive and cooperative partnership featuring equality, mutual benefit and common development.

As an ancient Chinese poem goes, "A bosom friend afar brings a distant land near." Though geographically far apart, China and Latin America and the Caribbean enjoy a friendship that dates back to antiquity. Several centuries ago, Chinese and Latin American merchants opened what we called the "Maritime Silk Road", forming an important trade route between the eastern and western hemispheres. In the face of complex and shifting international landscapes since the beginning of the 21st century, China and Latin America have upheld the principle of equality and mutual benefit, firmly pursued the goal of common development and worked concertedly for substantial progress in their relations.

Politically, the two sides have rendered each other understanding and support on the major issues bearing on respective core interests and in the course of exploring development paths suited to respective national conditions, resulting in the steady increase of their strategic mutual trust. Economically, the practical cooperation between the two sides has borne rich fruits, delivering tangible benefits to both peoples. With two-way trade reaching 261.2 billion U.S. dollars in 2012, China has become the second largest trading partner of Latin America and the Caribbean, which witnessed the world's fastest-rising exports to China. By investing nearly 65 billion U.S. dollars in Latin America and the Caribbean in accumulative terms, China has helped create much-needed jobs in the region.

In international affairs, the two sides have stepped up coordination and cooperation, effectively upholding their fundamental interests and the common interests of the developing countries. What is more, we have actively explored ways for all-round cooperation with a view to bringing into fuller play each other's strengths and setting up a better platform for advancing our comprehensive and cooperative partnership.

China and Latin America share the same approach to development. We have found increasingly more common language whether in respective nation-building and governance or in international affairs. Facts have proven, and will continue to show, that the growth of China-Latin America relations is an open and inclusive process featuring win-win cooperation. It not only serves the common interests of the two sides, but also contributes to peace, stability and prosperity in the region and the world at large.

Looking ahead, we are ready to work with Latin American and Caribbean countries to move forward the comprehensive and cooperative partnership between the two sides and bring about still greater benefit to the two peoples. I have full confidence in the prospects of China-Latin America relations.

Q: How do you view the growth of China' s relations with Trinidad and Tobago? What types of cooperation can be conducted in the field of energy? What tariff measures will China take to give manufactured goods of Trinidad and Tobago access to the fast-growing markets like BRICS?

A: I will be visiting Trinidad and Tobago shortly. It will be my very first visit to that country and also the very first visit paid by a Chinese President to the English-speaking Caribbean. I have high expectations for the visit.

China and Trinidad and Tobago enjoy a time-honored friendship. More than 200 years ago, the first group of Chinese settlers arrived at the island of Trinidad. They have since lived harmoniously with the local communities and become an integral part of the pluralistic society of Trinidad and Tobago.

The Chinese people will never forget that even before the two countries established diplomatic relations, the people of Trinidad and Tobago cast their solemn vote in favor of restoring the lawful seat of the People's Republic of China in the United Nations.

The exchange of diplomatic recognition in 1974 turned a new page in China-Trinidad and Tobago relations. I am so pleased to see that since then and particularly since the establishment of our friendly and cooperative relationship of mutual-benefit and development in 2005, we have made substantial progress in growing our relations. Trinidad and Tobago has become one of our most important partners in the English-speaking Caribbean. Our two countries have conducted fruitful cooperation in infrastructure, minerals, finance, telecommunications, public health and other areas, which contributed to economic and social development of both countries and the well-being of both peoples.

Next year will mark the 40th anniversary of our diplomatic ties. I hope the two sides will take this opportunity to work concertedly to elevate our friendly relations and mutually beneficial cooperation to a new height.

Trinidad and Tobago is a major oil and gas producer in the Caribbean region. With strong complementarity and tremendous potential, bilateral cooperation in the energy field may very well become a new growth point in China-Trinidad and Tobago partnership. Governments, financial institutions and enterprises from the two countries can go ahead with more exploration of energy cooperation in new forms and on a larger scale.

Given the great distance between the two countries, bilateral trade may be affected by high transportation cost. China has adopted effective tariff measures to facilitate trade with Trinidad and Tobago and other Caribbean countries. Many products of Trinidad and Tobago that are traditionally competitive are subject either to zero-tariff or to fairly low tariff rates in China. In fact, Trinidad and Tobago export to China in the recent decade has grown by nearly 30 times, reaching 140 million U.S. dollars last year. I hope enterprises of the two countries will enhance their cooperation. Trinidad and Tobago companies are welcome to do business in the Chinese market.

Q: How do you view the growth of China's relations with Costa Rica? What are your expectations of bilateral cooperation in the future?

A: President Laura Chinchilla paid a state visit to China in August 2012. We had a very nice meeting. President Chinchilla's willingness to develop relations with China left a deep impression on me.

Although China and Costa Rica established diplomatic ties only six years ago, the two sides have seen rapid and steady development of bilateral ties as well as fruitful cooperation in all fields. Bilateral relations have become a model of cooperation between countries of different size and national conditions.

Costa Rica is the third Latin American country to sign a free trade pact with China. The pact came into effect in August 2011. The national stadium of Costa Rica, which was built with the assistance of China, has become the symbol of friendship between the two peoples. The Confucius Institute at the University of Costa Rica is the fist of its kind in Central America, and it has provided a platform for promoting understanding and friendship between the two countries. Facts have proved that bilateral friendly and cooperative relations conform to the fundamental interests of the two countries and their people and that they have strong vitality and huge space for development.

Q: How do you view the development of bilateral relations between China and Mexico?

A: China and Mexico are both newly emerged economies and large developing countries that serve as a strategic partner and major development opportunity for each other. In April, President Enrique Pena Nieto visited China to attend the Annual meeting of the Bo'ao Forum for Asia. We had a very good conversation and reached important consensus on strengthening bilateral relations. In two months, I will pay a state visit to Mexico. The top leaders of the two countries exchanging visits in a short period of time reflects the great importance that both sides attach to China-Mexico relations.

Since China and Mexico established diplomatic relations 41 years ago, especially since the establishment of a strategic partnership in 2003, bilateral relations have seen great development as the deepening of mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields brought about tangible benefits to the people of both countries. China-Mexico relations have adopted increasing significance in strategic and general terms. The two sides have maintained close communication and cooperation on major global issues and pushed the development of international order and system toward a more just and rational direction. The development of China-Mexico relations has played an important role in promoting world peace and stability.

I am looking forward to further exchanges of views with President Pena Nieto on deepening practical cooperation between the two countries during my visit and to pushing bilateral relations to a new stage.

Q: What mechanisms and measures is the Chinese side considering adopting to promote balanced bilateral trade between China and Mexico? In what industries is the Chinese side planning to invest in Mexico? What policies is China adopting to encourage Mexican enterprises to invest in the country? How likely is it that China and Mexico will sign an agreement on free trade? In which areas will the two sides open up to each other to a greater extent?

A: In recent years, China-Mexico trade and economic cooperation have deepened from time to time and continued to achieve new results. China has become the second-largest trade partner of Mexico in the world, while Mexico is the second-largest trade partner of China in Latin America. Mutual investment between the two countries has steadily grown in scale, while areas of cooperation have continued to expand.

The Chinese side has never intentionally sought surplus in bilateral trade and is ready to join in efforts with the Mexican side to tap into potential, expand the scale and optimize the structure of bilateral trade and seek balance of trade in an active way.

Mexican exports to China have significantly diversified in recent years with an increasing number of electricity and telecommunications products, crude oil, cars, beer as well as agricultural products like tortillas and avocado available on Chinese markets.

During my visit to Mexico, the two sides will solve the issue regarding Mexican pork exports to China. China will organize a delegation of enterprises to Mexico to engage in relevant projects and market development. Meanwhile, China welcomes the Mexican side to send delegation to attend Chinese trade exhibitions, enhance understanding of the Chinese markets and promote Mexican products that meet the demand of Chinese consumers.

Mexico is an important investment partner for China in Latin-America. China has increased its investment scale to Mexico with a broadening of investment fields. The Chinese government will continue to encourage and support competent Chinese companies to actively participate in Mexican infrastructure construction, and support enterprises of the two countries to conduct cooperation in the mining industry, energy (including new energy and renewable energy), manufacturing sector, telecommunications and agriculture, and cultivate new growth areas of investment.

Since its entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001, China has fully implemented its commitment and its openness is approaching the average level of WTO's developed members. Foreign investments have entered into most fields of China's agriculture, manufacture and the service industry. We will adopt a more proactive opening-up policy and push forward the opening up to broader fields and a higher level. The country will encourage the foreign capital to enter into the areas of modern agriculture, high technology, advanced manufacture, energy conservation and environmental protection, new energy and the modern service industry.

China welcomes Mexican enterprises to expand investment in China. The country will continue to facilitate the investment environment, protect the legal rights and interests of foreign companies, and make efforts to create an open and transparent legal policy environment, a highly efficient and standardized administrative environment as well as a level playing field for foreign companies, including Mexican companies.

China has signed agreement of free trade with the three Latin American countries of Chile, Peru and Costa Rica, which played an important role in promoting trade and economic cooperation and investment between China and the three countries. China has also officially started a joint feasibility study on a free trade zone with Colombia. If the Mexican side puts forward the willingness to negotiate with the Chinese side on establishing a free trade zone, China is ready to strengthen cooperation with Mexico in this respect.

Q: How important is the 12th Five-Year Plan to China's development?

A: Over the past 30 years and more, China has made major progress in reform and opening up, registering an average annual growth rate of close to 10 percent. As a result, China's overall national strength has grown significantly, and its GDP has become the second largest in the world. On the other hand, the problem that its development is unbalanced, uncoordinated and unsustainable has become increasingly acute. In 2011, the Chinese government adopted the 12th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, which takes the Scientific Outlook on Development as the underlying guideline and accelerating the shift of growth model as the central task, and projects a 7 percent average annual GDP growth. It shows that we are more interested in the quality and efficiency of economic growth rather than the speed of growth only. We will improve the economic structure, stimulate domestic demand and consumption, and achieve growth driven jointly by consumption, export and investment.

The Plan calls for enhancing capacity for innovation and driving growth more through innovation, so as to turn more products from "made in China" into "created in China".

The Plan takes ensuring and improving people's lives as the starting point and ultimate goal of speeding up the shift of growth model, and sets the target of increasing per capita disposable income of urban residents and per capita net income of rural residents by over 7 percent per year respectively, so that they can grow as fast as the economy, if not faster. Government spending on education, public health and medical services, social security, employment and housing will be substantially increased so that all the people can share in more fruits of development in a fairer way.

The Plan calls for pursuing green, circular and low-carbon development, with focus on energy conservation and pollution reduction. The goal is to build a resource-saving and environment-friendly society and ensure sustainable development, with balance between economic and social development and population, resources and the environment.

The fundamentals of the Chinese economy are sound. First, growth is on a more stable footing, with GDP increasing by 7.8 percent in 2012 and 7.7 percent in the first quarter of this year. Second, progress has been made in shifting growth model and adjusting economic structure. Domestic demand, consumption demand in particular, is playing a significantly bigger role in driving growth, and the upgrading of industrial structure is picking up speed. Third, the employment situation is stable and resident income is rising. In 2012, 12.66 million new urban jobs were created, and per capita disposable income of urban residents and per capita cash income of rural residents increased by 9.6 percent and 10.7 percent respectively in real terms. Fourth, prices of consumer goods and housing remain stable. Consumer prices increased by 2.6 percent in 2012.

As the largest developing country in the world, China still faces many difficulties and challenges on the road ahead. To make life better for all the Chinese people requires sustained and hard efforts. We will continue to unwaveringly pursue reform and opening up and focus our efforts on managing our own affairs well. We will boost friendly relations and cooperation with other countries, and make new progress in advancing reform, opening up and building a modernized country. Looking ahead, we have full confidence in China's future.

Q: How will China realize its Chinese dream?

A: With great tenacity, the Chinese nation has emerged resilient from trials and tribulations. It has never given up its pursuit of great dreams. The great renewal of the Chinese nation has been a long-cherished dream of the Chinese nation since modern times.

In this new historical era, the Chinese dream that we are pursuing is about three things: economic prosperity, national renewal, and happiness of the Chinese people. We have two goals: First, to double the 2010 GDP and per capita income of both urban and rural residents and finish the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2020. Second, to build a modern socialist country that is strong, prosperous, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious and fulfill the Chinese dream of achieving the great renewal of the Chinese nation by mid-21st century.

To realize the Chinese dream, we must stay on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. We have been on this path for over 30 years. History has proven it to be the right path that suits China's national conditions, bringing about prosperity to China and its people. We will continue to advance along this path.

To realize the Chinese dream, we must promote the Chinese spirit. We need to boost the morale of the whole nation with the patriotism-imbued national spirit and call of the time, namely, reform and innovation.

To realize the Chinese dream, we must pool the strength of the whole country. Empty talk is harmful to the nation, while doing practical work will make it thrive. With the wisdom and strength of the 1.3 billion Chinese and through the unremitting efforts of generations of the Chinese people, we will make China strong and the Chinese nation prosperous.

To realize the Chinese dream, we must pursue peaceful development. We will unwaveringly follow the path of peaceful development and the win-win strategy of opening-up. We will both pursue China' s development and live up to our responsibilities and make our due contribution to the world. We will work for the common good of both the Chinese people and the people of the world. When realized, the Chinese dream will bring peace and opportunities to the world, not turbulence or threat.

While there is a vast ocean between China and Latin America, our hearts are closely linked. What binds us together is not only our profound tradition of friendship and close interests, but also our common pursuit of a beautiful dream.

In recent years, the Latin American and Caribbean countries have made steady progress in pursuing common development through concerted efforts. The establishment of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States fully testifies to the vigorous efforts made by Latin America to realize the dream of unity, coordination and common development championed by the pioneers of the Latin American independence movement.

China will work closely with the Latin American and Caribbean countries and maintain mutual support and sincere cooperation to realize the great dream of development and prosperity.