Chongqing - The first ambassador of El Salvador to China, Aldonov Frankeko Alvarez, made an official visit to Chongqing during the Smart China Expo 2023 and personally attended a reception in Jiefangbei to mark the recent fifth anniversary of diplomatic relations between El Salvador and the People's Republic of China held on September 6. Alvarez spoke with iChongqing at the reception to share the developments achieved through bilateral trade and cultural exchange cooperation.

For example, import and export volumes between Chongqing and El Salvador increased sharply by 45.5% year on year in 2022. Chongqing mainly exported laptops and motorcycles, while agricultural products, including Salvadoran coffee, arrived in the opposite direction.

Alvarez described how relations have strengthened considerably over the past five years, and the two sides have worked together in multiple fields. For example, China provided El Salvador with vaccines and medical supplies during the pandemic, while academic scholarships have allowed nearly 380 Salvadoran students to enroll in universities across China.

This year marks El Salvador's first participation in the Smart China Expo. Alvarez described the event as a "unique experience" and explained how it could serve as a good platform for El Salvador to protect the country in China's central, western, and southern regions.

Furthermore, talks held with local enterprises and institutions during his visit promise to bring ever greater cooperation in the near future. For instance, Chongqing Jiaotong University has expressed its interest in hosting Salvadoran students on local government scholarships. Meanwhile, major enterprises, including Chang'an, are evaluating the prospects of entering the El Salvador market.

"We are a gateway to Central America, and we're now a very safe country, so it's a huge opportunity," Alvarez added.

 (Guo Juntao, as an intern, also contributed to this report.)