President Xi Jinping extended his congratulations on Monday to Jose Antonio Kast on his election as Chile's?president, vowing to work with the South American leader to carry forward the traditional friendship between the two countries.

Noting that Chile was the first South American country to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, Xi underscored in his congratulatory message to Kast that the two countries have consistently upheld mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, and offered understanding and support on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns.

Practical cooperation in various fields has yielded fruitful outcomes and brought tangible benefits to the two peoples, Xi added.

He stressed that China-Chile relations have long been at the forefront of China's relations with Latin American countries, and advancing bilateral ties enjoys a broad consensus among various sectors in both nations.

Xi emphasized that he places great importance on the development of China-Chile relations and is willing to work with Kast to elevate the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries to new heights, thereby bringing greater benefits to the two peoples.

According to Chile's Electoral Service, Kast won over 58 percent of the vote in the presidential runoff election earlier this month,?with more than 15 million registered voters casting their ballots.?

Kast, 59, is set to take office on March 11 for a four-year term.

jihaisheng@chinadaily.com.cn