President Xi Jinping and his Argentine counterpart Mauricio Macri in Beijing on Wednesday. [Photo/Xinhua]

During their meeting, Macri offered Xi a gift - an Argentine national soccer team jersey - and the two leaders had a good discussion on boosting soccer cooperation, according to Zhu Qingqiao, director of the Foreign Ministry's Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs.

Yang Wanming, Chinese ambassador to Argentina, said earlier this month that increasing exchanges at all levels "offers an institutional guarantee" for synergizing their cooperation.

China is Argentina's largest customer for agriculture products, including beef, and its third-largest source of foreign investment.

Xi said both countries should expand market openings and optimize the trade structure.

Last year, China had total exports of $7.2 billion to Argentina and total imports of $5.1 billion, according to the General Administration of Customs.

Cooperation should be expanded in areas like infrastructure construction, energy, and existing major cooperation projects in hydropower and railways should be effectively implemented, Xi said.

Macri said Argentina is ready to work with China to promote the balanced development of trade, and reinforce cooperation in areas such as investment, finance, agriculture, science, culture and soccer.

Xi said China is willing to work with Argentina on major global topics such as economic governance and climate change, and China supports Argentina's hosting the G20 Leaders Summit next year.