Chinese ambassador to the United States Zhou Wenzhong signed two agreements of cooperation on Tuesday with Jose Miguel Insulza, secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS). It's the latest indication that China and Latin America are expanding their social and education cooperation amid a ballooning bilateral trade.

The first agreement, an additional protocol to the agreement between China and the OAS, has renewed for five years the China-OAS Cooperation Fund, in which the Chinese government will contribute $1 million for OAS activities to promote OAS projects of international cooperation for governance and economic and social development in the region.

The second agreement inked is a memorandum of understanding between China's Ministry of Education and the OAS for human development and scholarships programs. It will provide 10 scholarships each year to undergraduate and graduate student who are nationals of OAS member states to study in China. The total scholarship will reach $300,000 each year for five years.

Speaking at the ceremony in the OAS headquarters in Washington, Zhou said the agreements reflect the political will of the Chinese government to strengthen ties with OAS states. "It signals a higher level of exchange and cooperation between China and OAS," he said.

The China-OAS Cooperation Fund has supported projects in 36 areas and funded more than 20 OAS staff members and youth from OAS member states to attend training in China.

China's support in past years has focused mainly on the areas of gender issues and violence against women, advancing the education and rights of youth, the promotion of culture and the arts, and sustainable development, according an OAS announcement.

The OAS's Insulza praised China for its efforts in expanding bilateral exchange and cooperation.

He said the active participation by China and other permanent observer countries have played a vital role in helping OAS in strengthening democracy, human rights, overall development, security and prosperity in the Americas.

China, which became a permanent observer in OAS in 2004, has rapidly expanded its ties with Latin American countries.

China is now the second largest trading partner with Latin America, trailing the United States. Total bilateral trade reached $140 billion, up 40 percent over the previous year. In 2003, bilateral trade stood at only $26.8 billion.

Late last month, some 700 Chinese and Latin American entrepreneurs met at the third China-Latin America Business Summit held in Bogota, Colombia. The fourth summit will be held next year in China's Sichuan province.

In January this year, China joined the Inter-American Bank, becoming its third member from East Asia with Japan and South Korea.

China has already inked free trade agreements with Chile and Peru, and it made progress last month in Beijing in the fifth round of talks for a free trade agreement with Costa Rica.

Eyeing the increasing bilateral ties, the Chinese government published its first-ever policy paper on Latin American and the Caribbean in November 2008, ahead of the visit to the region by Chinese President Hu Jintao, who has made three trips to the region since 2004.

The Latin America and Caribbean Yellow Book, published by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in March this year, outlines some promising opportunities for Chinese enterprises.

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