MEXICO CITY — Mexico views its economic relationship with China with optimism, with e-commerce to help spur those ties, according to Paulo Carreno, general director of Mexican trade promotion agency ProMexico.

"We are very optimistic about what can happen with China next year and over the coming years," Carreno, whose agency is part of the Economy Ministry, told Xinhua.

China "is and will continue to be a highly important strategic market," he added.

In presenting an overview of his agency's 2017 accomplishments and 2018 goals, Carreno underscored Mexico's negotiations with Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, which aims to help small and medium-size Mexican companies access the Asian market via the online sales platform.

E-commerce will undoubtedly be an effective tool for expanding business, and so there is the agreement being signed between ProMexico and Alibaba, said Carreno.

During China's recent "Black Friday," or "Singles' Day," Mexico succeeded in selling nearly a million avocados online, he added.

"Mexican business owners have shown their interest in China and Chinese business owners have shown their interest in increasing Mexican exports," ProMexico's chief said, noting there was a lot of room for growth in trade.

From 2015 to 2016, Mexico's exports to China grew 11 percent, and from 2016 to September 2017, they grew a record 30 percent.

Carreno aims to introduce new exports in 2018, including Mexican handicrafts and jewelry available through Alibaba. His agency is studying the possibility of establishing a warehouse in China to speed up the delivery of online purchases.