SHANGHAI, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Sitting in the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone, the pavilion of China Chile Central adorned with maps crafted from cooper, lava-decorated walls and oak barrels is more than just a place to showcase Chilean customs and specialties.
Established in Shanghai in May 2015 with support from the governments of both countries, the pavilion is on a mission to promote bilateral trade and investment.
In the eyes of most Chinese people, copper has long been the symbol of Chile, the world’s No. 1 copper producer. Copper used to account for the bulk of Chile’s total export to China. In 2015, Chile exported 12.8 billion U.S. dollars worth of copper ore to China to become the biggest copper provider to China.
Nonetheless, with the Chinese economy slowing its pace of growth and the prices of commodities nose-diving, the South American country is eager to reduce the reliance on copper in its trade with China.
The establishment of the China Chile Central has helped create opportunities for small and midsize Chilean companies to tap the vast China market, said Wu Yuanfeng, chairman of China Chile Central. So far this year, imports of wine made in Chile via the Shanghai port have increased impressively to take the second place by volume among all imported wines. Currently, wine, cherries and quality seafood are the most popular Chilean products on the Chinese market.
In response to the consumption upgrading and spreading, the China Chile Central opened its first branch in Changsha, capital of central China’s Hunan Province, in November, and it plans to open more branches in the country’s inland regions in the not-too-distant future, according to Wu.
While endeavoring to introduce more Chilean products into China, the China Chile Central is also playing an active role in helping Chinese enterprises enter Chile.
The China Chile Central is now assisting photovoltaic enterprises in east China’s Jiangsu Province to exploit the energy market in Chile, said Wu, adding it is also planning to build a supply base at Chilean port for Chinese deep sea fishing vessels.
With China becoming the second largest economy in the world, Chile hopes to attract more investment from China in the fields of infrastructure, energy and agriculture, said Wu. Enditem (Edited by Ma Xin,maxin11@xinhua.org)
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