Gains from 50 years of China- Chile relations in spotlight

SANTIAGO — Academics and diplomats from Chile and China are commemorating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries with a weeklong series of virtual conferences on bilateral ties, trade, culture, literature and academic exchanges.

An opening ceremony on Monday kicked off the cycle of conferences organized by the Confucius Institute at Chile’s Pontifical Catholic University.

University Rector Ignacio Sanchez spotlighted the two countries’ collaboration beyond trade, and in such areas as renewable energy, biotechnology, seismology and astronomy.

“The cultural and educational exchange ties between China and Chile are broad and, along with benefiting the development of the institutions involved, students, academics and researchers, certainly contribute to the promotion of mutual understanding between both countries,” said Sanchez.

Also present was Zhou Yi, the charge d’affaires of China’s embassy in Chile, who said bilateral relations have been going strong for half a century driven by “mutual benefit and deep cooperation”, and have seen “rapid development in the political, economic, trade, cultural, scientific and technological fields”.

China, Zhou added, has remained Chile’s largest trading partner for 10 consecutive years, and is the largest export destination for many Chilean products, with an eye to deepening this friendly relationship, despite the pandemic.

Raul Fernandez, Chile’s acting deputy foreign affairs minister, lauded his country’s “correct, visionary and assertive” decision to establish diplomatic ties with China in 1970, becoming the first South American country to do so.

Chile’s Ambassador to China Luis Schmidt underscored the rise in Chilean exports. “The great factor ( in the recovery of Chilean exports) has probably been the free- trade agreement signed with China in 2005, which increased our international trade fourfold by 2018,” he said.