KIEV, June 20 — China’s President Hu Jintao on Monday oversaw the signing of business deals worth $3.5 billion on his first visit to Ukraine.

Hu said that the agreements in energy, technology, trade and other fields will bring bilateral relations “to a new level of strategic partnership,” the Associated Press reported.

President Viktor Yanukovych has sought to cultivate ties with China, largely neglected by his predecessor Viktor Yushchenko who pursued a firmly pro-Western course.

Hu’s predecessor, Jiang Zemin, visited Ukraine 10 years ago.

“I can say without exaggeration that this is a historic breakthrough in Ukrainian-Chinese relations,” Yanukovych after his talks with Hu. Hu’s three-day state visit to Ukraine included a trip to the Black Sea’s Crimean Peninsula.

Yanukovych called for increasing Ukrainian exports of grain and food products to China and voiced hope for a closer cooperation in aircraft making. He said that bilateral trade this year was expected to reach $10 billion, a 80% increase compared to last year.

Ukraine also secured a loan from China to build a high-speed railway linking Kiev’s Boryspil airport with the capital.

Hu on Monday called for the enhancement of cooperation between his country and Ukraine.

Hu, during a meeting with Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, said bilateral cooperation in the fields such as trade, major joint projects, investment and high-technology should be strengthened.

Hu said next year will mark the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Ukraine. Both sides should explore advantages and potential for cooperation, so as to elevate bilateral cooperation to a higher level, he said.

Hu asked both sides to expand the scale of bilateral trade, optimize trade mix, and increase the ratio of high value-added and high-tech products in trade.

He also urged the two governments to create better conditions for smooth implementation of their major cooperation projects.

The Chinese government encourages more Chinese enterprises to invest in Ukraine and would continue to provide financial support for major China-Ukraine cooperation projects, he added.

Hu also called for the deepening of high-tech cooperation in aviation, ship-making, biological information engineering, new material development and utilization.

The Ukrainian government will carry out the consensus on bilateral relations reached by the two heads of state and make every effort to push forward bilateral cooperation in various fields, he said.

The prime minister also said Ukraine-China cooperation has great potential, and Ukraine is willing to join hands with China to strengthen bilateral cooperation in trade, transportation, aviation, energy and high technology, so as to advance the bilateral strategic partnership.

He also said his government will, together with the Chinese side, properly organize various celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

As a relevant development, Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo, who is accompanying Hu in the visit, attended a pact-signing ceremony between China and Ukraine.

The cooperation pacts cover a wide range of fields like agriculture, energy, power generation, and science and technology. (ap/xa/ez)