SHANGHAI - Speaking at a ceremony held to celebrate the national pavilion day of Paraguay, Luis Manul Escobar Argana, Paraguay's minister of culture, said on Monday his country's participation in the Shanghai World Expo 2010 reflects Paraguay's hope for deeper relations with China.

Argana said the Shanghai Expo provides not only a chance to promote international exchange, but is also a stage for Paraguay and China to communicate and understand each other better.

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He said Paraguay's participation in the expo demonstrates the country's wish for more active communication and exchange with China.

Argana said interaction between the two countries will enable Paraguay to learn from China's valuable experiences and China's development path may provide important solutions to Paraguay, which is facing many new challenges.

"I hope today's event will make the interaction between Paraguay and China more formal," he said.

Wang Jinzhen, vice chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), said at the ceremony both China and Paraguay are developing countries tasked with boosting their respective national economies and improving the lives of their peoples.

"Although China and Paraguay don't have diplomatic ties, the Chinese people have had good feelings toward the Paraguayan people for a long time," said Wang.

Wang said he was confident the Shanghai Expo would serve as a new opportunity for the peoples of the two countries, as well as the whole world, to understand each other better and to jointly pursue harmonious and sustainable development for the entire human race.