MEXICO CITY -- Mexico should strengthen cooperation with China, one of the world's most dynamic economies, Senator Teofilo Torres Corzo said ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's upcoming visit to the country.

Expecting China to have bigger role on the international stage and greater presence in international politics in the years to come, Corzo said the country "should be an opportunity for Mexico, and Mexicans are beginning to understand that we can benefit better from the second largest economy in the world."

Also, China should be regarded as a factor for bolstering Mexico's national competitiveness, as both countries have the potential and opportunity to develop greater economic cooperation, he said.

China and Mexico have maintained close dialogue at the highest level in recent years, and they need to expand such cooperation to the fields of science, technology, culture and education, said the senator, who chairs the Mexican Senate's foreign affairs committee for the Asia-Pacific.

He called for the two sides to find new possibilities, improve mutual understanding, and expand cooperation and mutual understanding.

Mexico, Corzo said, should continue to work with China to promote international ecological cooperation, the development of alternative energy sources, conservation and rational use of water, and the construction of a new international financial system.

With "very promising" prospects, the Mexico-China relationship has the potential to benefit both nations as well as their respective regions, he added.@ The senator also said Mexico and China should strengthen cooperation in infrastructure construction, aviation and maritime transport, tourism, energy, mining and other fields.

Corzo believed that Xi's upcoming visit will effectively promote the development of the bilateral relations.

"The mutually beneficial China-Mexico relationship will become closer with joint efforts of the two governments," he said.