RIO DE JANEIRO - China and Brazil announced here Thursday they have agreed to upgrade bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership in a major step to further their cooperation level.

The announcement was made during Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's talks with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff. Wen is currently on his official visit to the Latin American country.

The two sides have also decided to set up a comprehensive strategic dialogue mechanism between their foreign ministers and signed a ten-year cooperation plan.

Since the establishment of their strategic partnership 19 years ago, China and Brazil have achieved fruitful results in bilateral cooperation.

Such results have promoted the economic and social development in both countries and boosted developing countries' confidence to participate in global affairs.

Noting that the shared interests between China and Brazil have never been so vast, Wen said China is willing to deepen cooperation with Brazil in all aspects and march forward hand-in-hand with Brazil on the path of modernization to help build a new, just and reasonable international order.

To implement the ten-year cooperation plan, a development blueprint for both countries, Wen put forward six proposals, namely, to promote trade and investment cooperation; to establish a stable, lasting and diversified resources partnership; to strengthen cooperation in infrastructure; to promote cooperation in the monetary and financial sector; to upgrade bilateral cooperation in high-tech and to further exchanges in the sectors of culture, education and youth.

For her part, Rousseff described China as Brazil's important strategic partner, saying that with efforts from both sides, the relations between the two countries have reached an unprecedented high level.

The positive situation is conducive to the development of both countries and conforms to the common interests of developing countries, including Latin American nations, she said.

The Brazil-China relationship is facing an important opportunity for further development and Wen's proposals would serve as important strategic guidelines, said Rousseff.

Brazil is willing to enhance cooperation with China in such areas as economy and trade, technology, aviation, astronautics, and agriculture, ?strengthen bilateral coordination on major international issues and continuously enrich the strategic content of bilateral ties, she said.

Wen arrived here Wednesday noon to attend the United Nations' Conference on Sustainable Development, before his official visit to Brazil.

His Latin America tour will also take him to Uruguay, Argentina and Chile.