Events

Boost China-Chile Trade and Economic Ties for Win-Win Cooperation - Beijing-Chile Economic and Trade Cooperation Promotion Fair successfully held

2023-6-9 15:36:19

The Beijing-Chile Economic and Trade Cooperation Promotion Fair was successfully held on June 8th in Santiago, the capital of Chile. The fair was co-sponsored by the CCPIT Beijing, Santiago Chamber of Commerce (SCC), and Chilean Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Tourism (CHICIT), and organized by the CCPIT representative office in Chile and the China Construction Bank Chile branch.

Those who attended the event were Liu Wei, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and President of Beijing People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries; Ignacio Fernandez, Director General of ProChile (the Chilean Exports Promotion Bureau); Niu Qingbao, Chinese Ambassador to Chile; Maria Teresa Vial, President of the Santiago Chamber of Commerce; and Juan Esteban Musalem, President of the CHICIT. They all delivered speeches at the fair, which was presided over by Guo Huaigang, Chairman of CCPIT Beijing.

During his speech, Liu Wei emphasized that despite the geographical distance between China and Chile, the two nations share a mutual love for peace and have developed a strong relationship. In November 2018, the Chilean government signed a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese government on jointly promoting the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which marked the beginning of a new era of collaboration between the two countries. Currently, China has become Chile’s primary trading partner and the top destination for exports and imports worldwide, while Chile stands as China’s third largest trading partner in Latin America. Liu also stated that Chilean enterprises and entrepreneurs are welcomed to invest and develop business in Beijing, and to deepen cooperation with their counterparts in China in various areas such as trade and commerce, agriculture, cultural tourism, digital economy, and green energy. By sharing development opportunities, both sides can achieve mutually beneficial growth.

Fernandez said that following the signing of the China-Chile Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in 2006, there has been a continuous expansion and extension of bilateral economic and trade cooperation between the two countries. Going forward, both sides are determined to enhance collaboration in areas such as mining, agriculture, connectivity technology, and economic integration, with an aim to create a regional hub along the “Belt and Road” economic belt, thereby expanding trade and investment services.

During his remarks, Niu Qingbao highlighted how Chile, as the first country in South America to establish diplomatic ties with the People’s Republic of China, has set the stage for enhanced collaboration between Latin American nations and China over the years. In addition to being one of the most developed economies in the region, Chile boasts a favorable business environment. With its advanced technologies and robust economic capabilities, Beijing is eager to deepen its existing comprehensive strategic partnership with Chile through joint efforts in trade, investment, and technical cooperation. By working together, both countries can achieve shared progress and prosperity.

This fair was the second important large-scale and high-level economic and trade promotion event held by the CCPIT Beijing in South America, characterized by rich content, in-depth exchanges, and fruitful results. The fair was comprised of five main parts, namely, guest speeches, special promotional sessions, project signings, enterprise promotions, and enterprise negotiations. During this event, China and Chile provided insights into the 16th China-LAC Business Summit, the business environment of Beijing Financial Street, and Chile’s business ecosystem, respectively. Further, Beijing enterprises operating in cultural tourism, agri-food, information technology, consulting services, and other fields, signed eight cooperation agreements and contracts with their Chilean counterparts. In the future, the two countries will engage in practical collaboration in tourism services, food import-export, automobile manufacturing, transportation, talent services, smart cities, and other fields. Following the promotional fair, enterprises from both sides engaged in free exchanges and project negotiations.

Besides, the event was also attended by more than 260 delegates and business leaders from trade and investment promotion institutions, business associations of key industries, and Chinese and local enterprises, including Chilean Federation of Industry, Chilean Fruit Exporters Association, Chilean Federation of Fruit Producers, Chilean Chamber of Construction, Beijing Tourism Group, Beijing Capital Agribusiness & Foods Group, BAIC Group, as well as Chinese and Chilean media and think tanks.