CAN and China seek stronger ties between their private sectors

Lima, May 25. Andean Community (CAN) Secretary General Sebastián Alegrett and Liu Wenjie, head of a delegation of Chinese businessmen, today expressed their conviction that "mutual familiarity and the development of closer relations between their private sectors" are the foundations for "fruitful cooperation" and "increased trade and investment" between the two parties.

Alegrett and Wenjie spoke at the at 9:30 a.m. opening of the seminar on "Business opportunities between the Andean Community and the Chinese People’s Republic," held at the CAN General Secretariat headquarters, which brought together over twenty-five Chinese businessmen and the directors and executives of the subregional organization.

Alegrett was of the opinion that the promotion of trade and investment between CAN and the People’s Republic of China should go hand-in-hand with stronger cooperation in the areas of science and technology, in which programs have been launched that could benefit from Chinese experience.

He stated that in working to consolidate their integration, the member countries of the Andean Community have recognized the need to seek new markets beyond their borders, within an approach of "open regionalism."

"It is for that reason that we are jointly exploring new ways to expand our commercial links with other trade blocs, particularly our partners within our own region," he stated, underscoring the steps taken toward creating a free trade area between CAN and the Mercosur and the advances in the FTAA and the WTO. The visit of the Chinese delegation, he added, will give the Andean countries a chance to learn about the possibilities offered by that country.

Liu Wenjie, Vice-chairman of the Chinese Economic Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), for his part, detailed the situation existing in his country after twenty years of reform and opening to trade, emphasizing that China’s main objective is to boost foreign investment in order to fuel national economic development and to encourage sectors with competitive advantages to invest abroad.

"The Andean countries possess a wealth of resources and their economies are complementary to the Chinese in many ways. Furthermore, bilateral trade is increasing year-by-year, while the advances in economic and technological cooperation and mutual investments are fairly sizeable," he maintained.

After underscoring the fact that "mutual familiarity is the foundation for fruitful cooperation," Wenjie reported that missions of entrepreneurs from Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador had visited the CCPIT in 1999 for the purpose of organizing seminars and business meetings and reaffirmed the willingness of his Council to continue its support for activities geared towards these ends.