Today marked a rare occurrence indeed; the descending upon Nanjing by no less than nine Consul Generals from Latin America and the Caribbean, as part of a mini tour of Jiangsu Province to promote trade and economic ties with the Central and South America regions.
The delegation was in town today, 11 December, for the Conference on Economic and Trade Promotion between Jiangsu and Latin American and Caribbean Countries at the Jinyuzui Fund Block in Nanjing’s Jianye District.
Present in Nanjing were Ms. Luz Helena Echeverry, head of the general mission of Latin American and Caribbean countries in Shanghai and Consul General of Colombia in Shanghai; Ms. Leisbeth Berrios, Consul General of Venezuela in Shanghai; Mr. Néstor Torres, Consul General of Cuba in Shanghai; Mr. Gilberto F. G. de Moura, Consul General of Brazil in Shanghai; Ms. Lorena Larios, Consul General of Mexico in Shanghai; Mr. Pablo Oregon, Consul General of Argentina in Shanghai; Mr. Franklin Chavez Pareja, Consul General of Ecuador in Shanghai; Mr. Roberto Jou Law, Consul General of Panama in Shanghai; and Mr. Danilo González, Consul General of Costa Rica in Shanghai.
They were joined by Vice Consuls, Ms. Jenia Yau Ng of the Panamanian Consulate General in Shanghai; and Mr. Guillermo Mendoza of the Peruvian Consulate General in Shanghai.
With the bulk of the conference comprising each of the Consuls taking turns to present their countries’ investment policies, business environment and other unique characteristics, attendees gained much insight into Latin America. Did you know that Panama has had no natural disasters?
On the Chinese side of the room, officials from Jianye District introduced the high-quality promotion of their opening to the outside world, while representatives of the Nanjing Geological Survey Centre of the China Geological Survey, the Jinpu Group, China Construction Group and the Nanjing Foreign Affairs Service Association made speeches to introduce the local international business situation and cooperation strategies.
After the conference, and a pleasant buffet lunch at Renaissance Nanjing beside the Olympic Centre, the delegation were whisked off to visit the Nanjing Sister Cities Exhibition Hall in the extreme south of Hexi.
The outing made for a pleasant break from the consuls’ official duties, and many enjoyed the opportunity for a snap beside their country’s exhibit. Others had fun with the Exhibition Hall’s many interactive exhibits that also make the venue an excellent choice for an educational outing; adults and children alike will find much to enthral them in the newly-opened ¥20 million facility.
This is the second joint visit to Jiangsu by the Consulates of Latin American and Caribbean countries organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, following the previous outing in September of this year.