MEXICO CITY -- China's southern Guangdong province is exploring opportunities to boost trade ties with Mexico, a visiting delegation from the province said on Monday.

"We want to increase inter-connectivity. We hope both sides can work on it together," said Hu Chunhua, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the Guangdong Provincial CPC Committee, at a Mexico-China (Guangdong) Cooperation Forum that gathered some 300 officials and business people from both countries.

The forum opened with the signing of 18 cooperation agreements, including projects to promote investment and to facilitate information exchange.

Hu suggested that the two countries could expand trade in seafood products, general industrial goods as well as increase high-level official exchanges.

"In the near future, Guangdong's will strive to further develop its hi-tech industries and upgrade its traditional industries based on new technologies, including intelligent manufacturing and China's Internet Plus plan," said Hu.

"We want our economy to be characterized by innovation," he added.

Mexico's Deputy Economy Minister Rogelio Garza said he wants "Chinese companies to invest in Mexico and to have Mexican companies go to China."

In particular, Garza touted Mexico's aerospace, electricity, automotive and energy sectors as potential investment opportunities for Chinese firms.

Chinese business owners have consulted the Mexican government on opportunities available to potential investors, said Garza, adding that details on private-sector investment in Mexico's special economic zones will be published in a month.

Mexico is Guangdong's leading trade partner in Latin America, and the province's 10th largest export market. Bilateral trade reached $10.4 billion last year.