Santiago, March 13 (IANS) Chile has called on China to make full use of a free trade deal that helped it become the country’s top trading partner, Xinhua reported.

‘Our free trade agreement is still young. We have to take advantage of it in benefit of both nations,’ Chilean President Sebastian Pinera said Friday.

‘We are looking forward to more trade, investment and cultural collaboration,’ he said in his first press conference since taking office Thursday.

The two countries signed a free trade pact in 2005.

China was Chile’s largest trade partner last year with Chilean exports to that country rising more than 20 percent to about $11 billion. Chile’s trade surplus with China represented over half of the nation’s total.

‘I am sure China is going to be the most important country in the world sooner or later,’ said Pinera, while noting that 2010 will mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.