Original Writing / Zheng Ying
Consul General Claudio Garrido has extensive diplomatic experience, having worked in the Protocol Department, the South American Division, the Central and North American Division and the Division of Environmental and Maritime Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile; He served as Third Secretary and Consul at the Chilean Embassy in Japan; Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of Chile to the United Nations and Second Secretary at the Embassy of Chile in India.
During the shanghai lockdown, Consul General Claudio Garrido gave a written interview to our reporter.
Chile is China's second largest trading partner in South America
International Market: China and Chile signed a free trade agreement, what contribution does the agreement make to trade between the two countries?
Consul General: China is Chile's largest trading partner, and Chile is China's second largest trading partner in South America. Since the signing and implementation of the China-Chile Free Trade Agreement in 2005, bilateral trade between China and Chile has entered the fast lane. Between 2005 and 2021, trade between the two countries increased sevenfold. While the pandemic continues to disrupt supply chains and pose unprecedented challenges to international trade, economic cooperation between Two Distant Countries, China and Chile, continues to grow.
International Market: How is the cooperation between the two countries in other areas?
Consul General: In recent years, with the deepening of bilateral trade between the two countries, the scope of cooperation has been further expanded, and the relevant cooperation processes between the two countries in the financial and investment fields have been strengthened. Today, China is one of Chile's largest sources of foreign investment.
▲ Delivered a speech at the 14th Grand Hotel Media Awards Ceremony & Dinner
Another important and positive bilateral cooperation is the joint fight against COVID-19, which will help Chile better cope with the spread of the epidemic, and China has played an important role in helping Chile achieve its vaccination goals. Cohin has shipped more than 25 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Chile. In addition, China's Kexing Laboratory announced its intention to invest in Chile and build a vaccine production plant in the Santiago Capital Region in central Chile, which can produce 60 million doses of vaccines per year, which is expected to be put into use in the second half of this year. Cochin will also build a vaccine research and development center in antofagasta.
International Market: Would you please introduce the cultural exchanges between the two countries?
Consul General: The relationship between the two countries has deep cultural roots. Seventy years ago, in 1951, our poet and Nobel laureate in literature, Pablo Nieruda, visited China and presented the Peace Prize to Ms. Soong Ching Ling, then Vice President of the People's Republic of China, and wrote a poem for her, "To Soong Ching Ling". On the same occasion, Premier Zhou Enlai praised Neruda as "the first swallow of the Spring of Friendship between China and Latin America."
The following year, in November 1952, Pablo Neruda, the painter José Vantelleri and other prominent Chilean intellectuals founded the Chilean Institute of Chinese Culture, the first institution established in Latin America related to the People's Republic of China.
On December 15, 1970, Chile became the first South American country to establish diplomatic relations with New China. On 30 July 1971, the poet Armando Uribe Arce, winner of the National Literary Prize, became Chile's ambassador to China.
▲Watch a cultural event in Shanghai
Gabriela Mistral Children's Book Launch
There are many opportunities for cooperation between the two countries in the field of green economy
International Market: In what areas do you think the two countries can further cooperate?
Consul General: The pressure to decarbonize our economy and production systems is increasing. Accelerating the transition to green technologies is becoming increasingly urgent, which will help reduce emissions, mitigate water pollution and biodiversity loss, and avoid dangerous environmental degradation.
China's 14th Five-Year Plan sets out priority for active climate policies and aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. In this context, China announced that it will accelerate the development of low-carbon technologies and infrastructure, improve resource utilization, and stabilize ecosystems and natural resources. Chile has a great interest in this process in China and will draw from it the experience that can be applied to the formulation of our own policies.
Chile has been a global leader in the field of sustainable development and has ambitiously contributed to the climate change agenda. The Government of Chile hosted the twenty-fifth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP25) and submitted its latest Climate Pledge (NDC) to the international community, in which Chile committed to zero net emissions by 2050.
Chile Week 2021
We can only achieve these goals if we fundamentally improve our technology and create innovative and sustainable solutions. Close cooperation and the exchange of experiences among Nations are essential, as the success of national plans is in the interest of all humankind.
China and Chile have many opportunities to support each other in this regard. China has become a technology powerhouse and is currently leading the way in clean energy, artificial intelligence, biotechnology and many other fields. Now, China is ready and willing to use these technologies to help other countries meet the challenge.
International Market: How is Chile's green economy developing?
Consul General: One of Chile's foreign policy priorities is to position the country as a strategic partner for sustainable development. Last year, together with the Chilean Commercial Office in Shanghai, we organized a seminar called "Chile and China: Partnership for Sustainable Development". The seminar brought together stakeholders from China and Chile and different industries to discuss the prospects for cooperation in sustainable technology development.
Chile is at the centre of some of the most successful, sustainable and exportable business models in Latin America. Chile, with a population of less than 3 percent of the subcontinent, is home to 20 percent of multinational corporations, some of which have been ranked as top companies in the field of sustainability by the most prestigious evaluation indexes such as the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. Chile is also ready and willing to share its experience and products with the world.
Global demand for sustainable products and services is increasing, and the green economy and inclusive and socially responsible business development will be key drivers of future competitiveness, which could help transform the Chilean economy and provide opportunities for innovative domestic entrepreneurs and research centers to create new business opportunities along the entire value chain. The green economy applies to traditional mining, agricultural production, biopharmaceuticals, information technology, industrial automation and cross-border procurement, and will increase Chile's participation in global value chains, upgrading from a mere provider of natural resources to a driver of innovation. On this basis, many Chilean companies are actively seeking solutions for the application of genetic technologies in industrial automation, 5G technology, procurement, agriculture and industry. In this regard, Chinese universities, innovation centers and companies can be very good partners for Chile.
▲ Visit Hangzhou
International Market: Can the Consulate General's main future work plan be shared with us?
Consul General: We have a lot of plans this year, one of which is to organize Chilean companies to visit different cities and provinces in China, with the aim of exchanging experiences with leading Chinese companies. The focus is on learning about China's success stories in many areas, including emerging technologies, genetics, 5G, agriculture, new and mobile energy, and electric vehicles. We are confident that these visits will facilitate and create appropriate space for cooperation between Chinese and Chilean companies. Although our plans have been temporarily suspended due to the COVID-19 epidemic situation in Shanghai, we are confident that we will be able to start our visit soon.
International Market: You worked in New Delhi and Tokyo, and now you're in Shanghai, can you compare your experiences with working and living in these three cities?
Consul General: For me, working in Tokyo and New Delhi was a great professional and personal experience. I was offered my first foreign affairs position in Tokyo, which gave me the opportunity to learn about diplomacy and consular work under the guidance of senior colleagues. In New Delhi, I am in charge of political affairs, so the nature of my work is very different from that of consular affairs. During the global spread of COVID-19, I was in Shanghai. At that time, Chile was in lockdown, and I was surprised to see that life in Shanghai was as usual due to the effective zero-clearing policy. Today, a vibrant Chilean business community has been formed in Shanghai, and together we are working to develop and deepen our relations.
At present, Shanghai is in a state of containment due to the epidemic. However, even in the midst of such difficulties, we can learn many valuable lessons, such as the organization, discipline, unity and sense of community of the Shanghainese, which have left a deep impression on me.
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