Argentine Economy Minister Amado Boudou Thursday described relations with China as 'very strong and beneficial.' More bilateral exchange generates great opportunities for the peoples of both countries, Boudou told Xinhua in Mar del Plata, where he attended a meeting of Ibero-American entrepreneurs. 'This year there have been state visits, diplomatic visits, and common participation in the Group of 20,' Boudou said. 'The ties are very strong and beneficial for both countries. The expectation is to continue strengthening them,' he added. The Argentine minister attributed the strong ties to efforts of late Argentine President Nestor Kirchner and Chinese President Hu Jintao, who agreed to build a strategic partnership of the two countries in 2004. China is now Argentina's second-largest trade partner. From January to August, bilateral trade reached 9.1 billion U.S. dollars with 100 million dollars in surplus for Argentina, according to Argentine statistics. The two-way trade could surpass 12.9 billion dollars for the whole year according to some estimate as China has become the top export market for Argentina and other Latin American nations. 