From February 3 to 4, more than 100 guests, including consular officials from 16 countries' consulates general in Chongqing and Chengdu, representatives of 19 overseas institutions in Chongqing, and representatives of 4 overseas media in Chongqing to visit Liangping to jointly explore new opportunities for international cooperation and promote further development in opening up.

Foreign Consulates and overseas Institutions in Chongqing visited Liangping District on February 3. (Photo/Foreign Affairs Office of Chongqing Municipal People's Government)

On the evening of February 3, at the launching ceremony of the event, Wang Wen, director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Chongqing Municipal Government, delivered a speech and said that in 2022, they would interact and cooperate with friends from various countries to promote the Midwest International Exchange Center to achieve fruitful results. 2023 is the starting year for building a new socialist modernized Chongqing. The Foreign Affairs Office of the Chongqing Municipal Government will maintain close cooperation with other countries and invite foreign ambassadors, business associations, enterprises, and media to take a field trip along the New Western Land-sea Corridor and explore new cooperation opportunities. The Chongqing and the World Friendly Exchange Conference will be established to invite mayors of international sister cities to gather in Chongqing to discuss cooperation and win-win development.

Chen Mengwen, deputy secretary of the Liangping District Committee and district mayor, said in his welcome speech that Liangping has a long history and rich humanities. It is the "hometown of Chinese folk culture and art" and the center of Buddhist culture in Southwest China. Liangping is a city with beautiful mountains and rivers and rich wetlands. It enjoys harmonious coexistence between man and nature and has been awarded the "International Wetland City" and the National Ecological Garden City. 

The Liangping visit focused on key areas such as ecology, industry, and culture. The guests visited the pre-made food center, Shuanggui Lake National Wetland Park, Shuanggui Temple, and Baili Bamboo Sea. Through the visit, foreign consular corps and representatives of overseas institutions in Chongqing can understand Liangping's achievements in green development and opportunities for industrial cooperation in a closer, multi-angle, and broader way.

Foreign consular officials and representatives of overseas institutions in Chongqing learned about the development of the pre-made food industry. (Photo/Foreign Affairs Office of Chongqing Municipal People's Government)

At the two halls and two centers, the guests witnessed the industrial prosperity of Liangping, the pre-made food center in western China. Since May 2022, Liangping has made every effort to build itself into a pre-made food center in western China and a competitive pre-made food industrial base globally. Foreign consular officials and representatives of overseas institutions in Chongqing spoke highly of the development of the pre-made food industry after they watched the industry chain and dish display, tasted Liangping's specialties, and experienced the intangible cultural heritage.

"Italy attaches great importance to agricultural development. We have noticed a lot of advanced experience in the agricultural development of pre-made food in Liangping. This is an excellent direction for cooperation between Italy and Liangping. We hope to take this opportunity to promote matchmaking and negotiations with Liangping on relevant work." Guido Bilancini, Consul General of Italy in Chongqing, said the event has set up a perfect platform for exchanges and cooperation between those countries and Liangping District, Chongqing. He hoped that the consular officers of the corps would carry out more exchanges and cooperation with Liangping District.

Lee Kwang-ho, Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Chengdu, praised the pre-made food center exhibition hall in western China. He said that Liangping speaks to the excellent potential in Chongqing's food industry, and Korean food companies should consider opening production plants here. Paolo Bazzoni, Chairman of the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce, also believed that Liangping is full of vitality and cooperation opportunities. He said that he would help member enterprises further understand the industrial development of Liangping and looked forward to active cooperation with Liangping.

The consular officials visited Liangping Shuanggui Lake National Wetland Park. (Photo/Foreign Affairs Office of Chongqing Municipal People's Government)

"@Chongqing@the World" is a symbolic foreign affairs brand activity created by the Foreign Affairs Office of the Chongqing Municipal People's Government, aiming to sing "A Tale of Two Cities" and build an economic circle, accelerate the construction of an international exchange center in central and western China, and accelerate the construction of Chongqing into an international, green, intelligent and modern city with human culture. At the same time, Chongqing Foreign Affairs Office will promote the sinking of foreign affairs resources to the districts and counties and serve the opening up and social and economic development of the districts and counties.