China, Brazil and Peru on Thursday released a joint statement pledging concerted efforts to build a railway that runs across the South American continent.

The document came after a meeting here Wednesday of Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Brazilian and Peruvian counterparts, Dilma Rousseff and Ollanta Humala.

The three leaders, said the statement, exchanged views on boosting the construction of transport infrastructure in South America and promoting the connection between South American and Asian markets.

They highlighted their shared commitment to tapping into their cooperation potential and connecting the two South American countries' rail networks.

According to the statement, the leaders instructed relevant departments in their respective governments to carry out a feasibility study on the project, which is aimed at linking the Brazilian Atlantic coast with the Peruvian Pacific coast.

The three countries are to specify the approaches and resources available for the project and set a time frame, said the statement, adding that they also agreed to facilitate the deployment of technical teams to conduct on-site surveys within their respective laws and regulations.

Should the project be deemed feasible, they will carry out further studies on how to proceed, according to the statement.

In his separate talks with Rousseff and Humala, Xi stressed Beijing's readiness to expand win-win cooperation in infrastructure construction with Latin American countries, and called for concerted efforts in building the transcontinental South American railway into a success.

He proposed that a trilateral work group be established to navigate their cooperation in all related aspects, including the planning, design, construction and operation of the rail.

Both Rousseff and Humala expressed their countries' willingness to work on the project, which they said will contribute not only to the development of their countries but to that of the whole region.

Xi is in Brasilia for a state visit to Brazil, which is the first leg of his ongoing Latin America tour, which will also take him to Argentina, Venezuela and Cuba.

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