Chengdu sets sights on closer ties with BRICS

Initiative launched at forum touts increased cooperation in tourism and trade

Chengdu has seen increased friendly exchanges with Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa, as the capital of Sichuan province has become a key window for China's cooperation with BRICS members, according to local officials.

The city hosted the 2017 BRICS Friendship Cities and Local Governments Cooperation Forum in July, which offered an important opportunity for local governments from BRICS to enhance understanding, deepen cooperation and share experiences.

The Chinese government values cooperation with local governments from BRICS highly, especially its partnership under the sister city framework, said Wang Jiarui, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

"The forum is an ideal platform for promoting the cooperation," Wang said.

The Chengdu Initiative released at the forum proposes BRICS focus on culture, tourism, economy and trade, and science and technology to expand foreign exchange channels and boost international communication and cooperation.

The initiative encourages colleges from BRICS to join in the Chengdu college innovation alliance for sister cities, which was founded in June 2016 and aims to work as a communication platform for institutes from Chengdu and its international sister cities.

Alliance members share higher education resources and benefit from strengthened communication and cooperation among scientific research organizations and personnel. They also experience the concept of running an institution bilaterally and multilaterally.

At the forum, representatives from local governments of BRICS expressed interest in cooperation with Chengdu.

Luciano Nunes Santos Filho, president of Brazil's National Union of Legislators and State Legislatures, said Chengdu and Brazil have a solid foundation for cooperation.

Brazil offers business opportunities in agriculture, infrastructure construction and the mining industry, and hopes to cooperate with Chengdu in those fields, Filho said.

Brazil is the third-largest shoemaker in the world, while Chengdu is an important center of the footwear industry in China. Brazilian shoe companies have already cooperated on projects with Chengdu, according to insiders.

Shipilov Aleksei, first deputy governor of Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug-Ugra, Russia, said he thinks highly of the opportunities brought about by the Chengdu-Europe Express Rail.

The Russian autonomous region is rich in mineral resources, which can be shipped to Chengdu via the express rail to boost the city's industrial growth, he said.

I.A.Kundan, additional municipal commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, India, praised Chengdu's achievements in city engineering, infrastructure construction and sewage treatment, and said she hopes to cooperate with Chengdu in those areas.

Des van Rooyen, South African minister of cooperative governance and traditional affairs, said Chengdu is a world-known tourist destination, while South Africa boasts many tourism resources and the two sides have a broad spectrum for cooperation in tourism.

The two sides also have huge cooperation potential in the aspects of manufacturing, agriculture and cultural exchanges, Van Rooyen said, adding that he is especially interested in exchanges in traditional Chinese medicine.

"Sichuan has advantages in developing the pharmaceuticals sector, as it is rich in professionals, and TCM and modern medicine are combined well in the province," he added.

With South Africa's traditional medicine sector being revived in recent years, Van Rooyen said he hopes the two sides can enhance exchanges.

To further promote communication and cooperation between local Chinese governments and South Africa, a dialogue was held during the forum. South Africa is one African country that has close ties with Chengdu, local officials said.

The Chengdu and South African governments have conducted frequent mutual visits in recent years and launched cooperation in fields such as sister cities, trade, tourism, and conventions and exhibitions, they said.

Chengdu has established a friendly city cooperation relationship with Johannesburg, the largest city in South Africa. Later, a South Africa visa application center was established in Chengdu, the first of its kind in western China.

songmengxing@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 09/04/2017 page20)