The Cooperation Forum on Infrastructure between China and Argentina began Tuesday, aiming to increase bilateral cooperation in the field.

During the inauguration ceremony, director of International Economy Negotiation of the Argentine Foreign Ministry Nestro Stancanelli said the forum was "meaningful because China and Argentina have a strategic relation" and wide-range cooperation in economic, social and cultural sectors.

Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Chen Jian, who attended the ceremony, urged Argentine businessmen to strengthen ties with their Chinese counterparts to reinforce mutual exchange, which will bring concrete benefits to both countries.

Chen said the Chinese businessmen attending the forum have excellent experience in building ports, hydroelectric plants, railways, highways and mining materials.

Chen also put forward a three-point proposal to strengthen the bilateral cooperation, namely, increasing intergovernmental communication; carrying out cooperation contracts at enterprise level; and reinforcing the exchange between the chambers of commerce and associations of both countries.

The two sides believe that increasing investments and infrastructure construction would help overcome the negative impacts of the current global financial and economic crisis, Chen said.