A bilateral economic and trade forum was held here during a Chinese delegation's visit to Latvia from Monday to Wednesday.

The delegation, organized and led by the Chinese Commerce Ministry, comprised about 60 entrepreneurs from 34 enterprises. It has been the largest ever Chinese economic and trade delegation since the establishment of the China-Latvia diplomatic ties.

At the forum, which was attended by more than 170 entrepreneurs from 114 Latvian companies, visiting Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu urged further economic and commercial cooperation between the two sides.

Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Gao Hucheng pledged that the Chinese government would work more closely with the Latvian side to serve and facilitate the exchanges between the two countries' enterprises.

According to China's official statistics, trade volume between the two countries rose steadily in recent years, reaching 865 million U.S. dollars in 2008, a jump of 22.4 percent from a year earlier.

Chinese and Latvian officials briefed the entrepreneurs on the economic environment, advantageous industries, and trade and investment policies of their respective countries.

(Xinhua News Agency September 3, 2009)