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SANTIAGO, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- Chile will develop renewable, clean energies to prevent worse consequences of climate change and expects to cooperate with countries like China on related technologies, Chilean President Sebastian Pinera said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.
"Climate change is already hitting the world, and we cannot be irresponsible... We cannot close our eyes, because if we do so, our countries, our people and our sons will suffer a lot," Pinera said during the interview at the Presidential Palace "La Moneda" in Santiago.
Pinera hoped all countries at the United Nations conference on climate change in Cancun, Mexico, in December would "react as a world and to realize that we cannot continue contaminating the world as we have during the past decades."
"We need to realize Mother Nature is crying for help, and we cannot be deaf to those cries. We have to react. And one of the sources of contamination and all the gases that are provoking this climate change come from the energy sector, so we must look for new and clean sources of energies," Pinera said.
Chile had extremely rich resources for the development of energies of the future, Pinera said.
"We have the driest and most powerful desert in the world to produce solar energy, we have wind all over the country to produce energy from the windmills, and we have this huge potential in geothermic energy, (because) 25 percent of the volcanoes of the world are in Chile, and we also have a huge potential in using the energy of the oceans, and the tides," he said.
He expressed his hope that Chile would be able to work together with China, which also had rich resources, in tapping these new clean renewable sources of energy.
"We would be able to sign many, many agreements with China in the technological area as both of us have to develop new clean renewable energies. And there are a lot of collaboration opportunities in that area," he said.
Besides cooperation in the field of renewable energy, the Chilean president, due to pay his first presidential visit to China next week, said his country also looked forward to pushing forward the cooperative relationship with China, and enhancing cooperation with China in politics, the economy and trade, culture and other areas.
Although thousands of miles apart, the two countries have maintained friendly ties since they established diplomatic relations 40 years ago, Pinera said.
China had now gained an "immeasurable" economic strength, and Chile hoped to expand bilateral economic exchanges and trade, he said.
During what he called a tour "full of expectations," the president said he planned to discuss with Chinese leaders ways to further promote bilateral ties, and to witness the signing of a number of cooperation agreements on science and technology, culture and education.
"I am looking forward to my visit to China," he said.
The president also spoke highly of the generous assistance China offered after Chile suffered a devastating earthquake in February, and lauded the contribution of Chinese equipment to the miraculous rescue in October of 33 miners, who had been trapped 700 meters underground for more than two months.
They were evidence that the Chile-China friendship had never been weakened by the long distance between them, Pinera told Xinhua.
Just like Chile, China also suffered frequent natural disasters, he said, adding that both the Chinese and Chileans had a firm resolution to overcome difficulties and stride forward.
As a developing country, Chile also trusted its people and believed in its capability to win battles against underdevelopment, he said, adding that the two countries' similar experience brought them closer.
"We share with the Chinese people our will, and commitment to overcome all the adversities," the Chilean president said.
Pinera also recalled his past visits to China, saying that China's culture, tradition and history touched him on every visit.
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