BUENOS AIRES, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- China is key to Argentina's future trade and ties between the two countries should be strengthened at a quicker pace, an Argentine expert said on Friday.

The South American country has to step up the pace and deepen its relationship with China, said Patricio Giusto, an expert on public policy and director of consulting firm Diagnostico Politico (Political Diagnosis).

The two countries marked the 45 anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic ties in February 2017. "The outlook is very good, but Argentina still needs to do a lot to improve and to deepen our diplomatic relationship," said Giusto.

One way to bolster bilateral ties would be to raise Argentina's presence in China, he told Xinhua.

"Our representation is still very scant. We only have our embassy in Beijing and a consulate in Shanghai with a small investment agency, and another small consulate in Guangzhou," said the expert, who returned in August after living a year in Hangzhou, eastern China.

Argentina should "go towards the interior of the Asian giant to promote itself and its products," he said.

"There are regions that consume such products as olive oil and wine, both top Argentine exports ... from the Argentine side, we have to invest much more in that," said Giusto.

Argentina "has made progress" in this regard in recent years, "but we have to hurry because China is going to keep growing and there are other countries that are also breaking into that market and they are doing it faster," said Giusto.

"The good thing is that it is such a large market that there seems to be room for everyone in China, with a middle class that already numbers some 400 million and is going to continue to expand," he said.

To bolster ties, Argentina should also strengthen "cultural, tourism and sports exchange, which has made great advances and must continue to expand further," he said.

"We are doing well. ... I would speed things up much more," added Giusto.

One obstacle to the expansion of ties may be that Argentina's foreign policy makers are being slow to adapt to today's reality, he indicated.

"Let's begin to look to Asia, which is already the epicenter of the global economy. That is where Argentina and the region's future lies," said Giusto.

Relations between China and Argentina have grown rapidly in recent years. In 2014, the two countries agreed to raise their ties to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership.

China is Argentina's second-biggest trade partner, only after neighboring Brazil. In 2016, trade between China and Argentina amounted to 12.32 billion U.S. dollars.

China is also Argentina's leading agricultural trade partner, and its third-largest foreign investor.