Chongqing - Pablo Vommaro, Executive Director of the Latin American Council of Social Sciences, or CLACSO, said Chongqing's development offers a concrete example of how Chinese modernization is being carried out at the local level and why it matters to countries in the Global South.
Vommaro made the remarks during a Global Vision interview held alongside the International Symposium on the Global Significance of Chinese Modernization recently. The program focused on how China's modernization experience, particularly in Chongqing, may offer references for developing countries in areas such as urban governance, industrial upgrading, regional connectivity, and ecological development.
After visiting Chongqing's smart factory, urban spaces, logistics networks, and public institutions, Vommaro said what impressed him most was the coherence of long-term planning and its visible results.
"What impressed me the most is the coherence of long-term planning and a modernization that is visibly and tangibly integrated," he said. He added that the planning materializes into facts and concrete actions that can be seen, measured, and linked to improvements in people's quality of life.
Vommaro described Chongqing's modernization as "intelligent," "green," and "inclusive." He said the city's experience shows how infrastructure, industry, science, innovation, technology, the environment, and public services can be connected within a broader development strategy.
Comparing Chongqing with major Latin American cities such as São Paulo, Mexico City, and Buenos Aires, Vommaro said Latin American scholars could study the city's experience in urban governance, territorial integration, economic transformation, and ecological protection.
He said development should not be reduced to economic growth alone, but should also include reducing inequality, eliminating poverty, and preserving the environment.
Vommaro also said Chinese modernization is important for the Global South because it shows there is not just a single development path. He stressed that China's experience should not be copied mechanically, but studied through learning, dialogue, and exchange.
He said future cooperation between CLACSO and the Western China International Communication Organization could include joint research, publication exchanges, academic cooperation, youth researcher exchanges, and multilingual knowledge platforms.