Exchange event underscores strength of Chinese-Chilean relations
Residents of Shanghai's Putuo District and expats from Chile sing and dance at a China-Chile exchange event on Thursday.
Featuring Chinese traditional activities as well as Chilean national dance, residents of Shanghai's Taopu Town and Santiago, Chile, enjoyed a lovely online exchange event on Thursday.
Shanghai residents took part in the event at Taopu Town's community center in downtown Putuo District. Locals and Chileans in Shanghai sang and danced at the event, marking the strong friendship between the two countries ahead of Chile's national day that falls on Sunday.
Juan de Dios Parra, executive president of the China-Latin America Alliance for Technological, Tourist and Cultural Exchange (A-CHILAC) , participated in the event via a video call from Santiago.
During the event, he recited a beautiful poem he wrote to show his unique understanding of China's Mid-Autumn Festival.
One of Parra's old friends, Mabe Bastia, a famous singer and artist in Chile, sang a Chilean folk song.
Pu Qiwei, a Putuo resident, performed Chinese calligraphy, wishing a long-lasting friendship between the two countries.
Pu Qiwei (right) performs Chinese calligraphy at the event.
Located in the west of South America, Chile is a long and narrow country with more than 6,000 kilometers of coastline.
Due to its unique geographical location, Chile produces high-quality fruits and vegetables such as cherries, which are very popular among Chinese consumers.
Diplomatic relations between China and Chile began on December 15, 1970. Chile was the first South American country to forge diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China.
China has become Chile's largest trade partner, source of imports and destination of exports, while Chile is China's third-largest trade partner in Latin America.
In the first six months of 2022, total import and export trade between Shanghai and Chile was 36.44 billion yuan (US$ 5.22 billion), a year-on-year increase of more than 86 percent, according to the customs authority.
