Nandu News Reporter Feng Yunqing Intern Yan Siyun As the first activity of the 2021 Guangdong Latin America series of exchange activities, on October 12, the 2021 Guangdong Latin America Exchange and Cooperation Dialogue Conference and guangdong international business opportunity promotion conference were held in Zhuhai. 30 officials from the embassies of 18 Latin American and Caribbean countries in China and the Consulate General in Guangzhou, representatives of American enterprises in Guangdong and Latin America, as well as more than 80 representatives of the Guangdong government, enterprises and universities, gathered together to exchange views on the theme of "Sharing New Opportunities for the Development of the Bay Area and Drawing a New Chapter of Guangdong-Latin America Cooperation".
It is understood that from October 11 to 14, the 2021 Guangdong Latin America series of exchange activities jointly sponsored by the Guangdong Provincial Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the Foreign Affairs Office of Guangdong Province were launched in Zhuhai, Zhongshan, Dongguan and other cities and the online platform of the Guangdong International Trade Digital Expo, aiming to promote exchanges and cooperation in the fields of economy and trade, humanities, science and technology, agriculture and other fields in Guangdong and Latin America to build a platform, broaden channels and create a new situation.
As a strong province in China's economy, science and technology, and sports, Guangdong has extensively carried out cooperation with Latin American and Caribbean countries in various fields, including 18 pairs of provincial and municipal sister city relations with local governments of Latin American and Caribbean countries; Guangdong enterprises such as Huawei, Gree, TCL, ANDD have invested in building factories or set up research centers in Latin American countries, and China-Latin America economic and trade cooperation parks have settled in Zhuhai; 11 Latin American and Caribbean countries have set up consulates general in Guangdong; especially after the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, Guangdong Province has vigorously supported Latin American and Caribbean countries to fight the epidemic. The economy was restored, and the friendly exchanges between Guangdong and Latin America were further deepened.
"Guangdong Province is a pioneer in China's reforms and a key engine of trade and economic growth. The triangular relationship in the Bay Area, formed by the three cities of Guangzhou, Zhuhai and Shenzhen, led the development of China-Latin America and the Caribbean. Pamela Hamilton, Director General of the United Nations International Trade Centre, said in a video address. She said that in the future, she hopes to expand cooperation between the main institutions of Guangdong Province and the governments of Latin America and the Caribbean, so that more MSMEs on both sides can benefit from international trade.
Fan Xinlin, vice president of the Guangdong Provincial Council for the Promotion of International Trade, said at the meeting that the friendly exchanges between Guangdong and Latin American and Caribbean countries have a long history, the trade volume between Guangdong and Latin America accounts for one-fifth of the total trade between China and Latin America, and the total number of investment projects of Guangdong enterprises in Latin America is more than 300, and the cooperation potential between the two sides is huge and the prospects are broad. "Latin America is not only a natural extension of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, but also an indispensable and important participant in the construction of the 'Belt and Road', and Guangdong is also ushering in a series of new historical opportunities brought by the 'Belt and Road' initiative."
Uruguayan Ambassador to China Fernando Lugris said that this event will help Latin American and Caribbean countries to focus on Guangdong, where China's economy and science and technology are the most advanced, especially Hengqin will be a special area that can promote high-quality cooperation and development between Chinese and Latin American enterprises.
Fu Yongge, deputy director of the Executive Committee of the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone, focused on the important cooperation carriers such as the China-Latin America Economic and Trade Cooperation Park and the China-Portuguese-speaking Countries Financial Service Platform in the Cooperation Zone, and looked forward to the construction of the cooperation zone bringing new and greater opportunities for Hengqin and even Guangdong to deepen cooperation with Latin American and Caribbean countries.
The 15-day Latin American Product Import Exhibition, which was held at the same time as the dialogue meeting, has been launched online at the Guangdong International Trade Digital Expo, and an online forum and procurement and marketing matchmaking meeting have also been held at the same time.
Fan Xinlin said that in the future, the Guangdong Provincial Council for the Promotion of International Trade will strengthen cooperation with the industrial and commercial circles of Latin American and Caribbean countries from four aspects: seizing opportunities to close the industrial and commercial cooperation mechanism, complementing and win-win investment and trade cooperation, innovating models to promote cross-border trade facilitation, and extensive exchanges to create economic development momentum.