Argentina Joins China in Belt & Road Initiative
The Chinese and Argentine governments have signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, as stated in a joint statement released on Sunday, according to CGTN. The news comes as Argentina’s President, Alberto Fernández, met Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
For more on the deal to obtain $23.7 billion in financing, read here.
The two countries also agreed to further expand the scale of trade and actively promote investment to each other, while cooperation documents were signed in various fields such as green development, the digital economy, space, the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, scientific and technological innovation, education, agriculture, earth science, public media and nuclear medicine, according to the statement.
China and Argentina reaffirmed mutual support on issues involving their sovereign interests and Argentina reaffirmed its commitment to the One China principle. China reaffirmed its support for Argentina’s demand to fully exercise sovereignty on the Malvinas Islands.
Argentina proposed setting up a consulate general in Chengdu in southwest China’s Sichuan Province, which was welcomed by the Chinese side.
The Argentine government delegation is wrapping up an extensive three-day agenda in China. Alberto Fernández attended the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games together with other presidents, to which he was invited by President Xi Jinping.
Fernández and the Governor of Buenos Aires, Axel Kicillof, participated in a meeting with authorities of the China National Pharmaceutical Group Corp, and expressed gratitude to China for supplying Sinopharm for Argentina when the country was in short supply.
The two countries are currently negotiating to start local production of the Sinopharm vaccine, which will be produced by the Sinergium Biotech laboratory.
“There are now possibilities of association between Argentine companies and your company, which will allow us another of our main premises, which is the transfer of technology,” said Governor Kicillof.
The President also visited the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Museum and received the title of Professor Honoris Causa at Tsinghua University, the most important university in China.
The Argentine delegation is composed of the Foreign Minister, Santiago Cafiero, the Governor of Río Negro, Arabela Carreras; the governors of Buenos Aires, Axel Kicillof, and of Catamarca, Raúl Jalil; the spokesperson of the Presidency, Gabriela Cerruti; the Secretary of Sports, Inés Arrondo; the senator Adolfo Rodríguez Saá, the deputy Eduardo Valdés, the presidential advisor Cecilia Nicolini and the mayor of José C. Paz, Mario Ishii.
By Kawsachun News with information from Casa Rosada official press and CGTN
