H.E. Aldo Alvarez, Ambassador of El Salvador to China: Chongqing Like a Soaring Rocket

萨尔瓦多驻华大使阿尔瓦雷斯：
重庆的发展就像正在腾飞的火箭

萨尔瓦多驻华大使阿尔瓦雷斯接受媒体采访。

  “Chongqing is China’s future megacity as Chongqing’s development is as fast as a soaring rocket. In my view, the city is leading the development in central and western China.” In recent days, H.E. Aldo Alvarez, Ambassador of El Salvador to China visited Chongqing and was interviewed by media. “We are very optimistic about Chongqing’s future and look forward to strengthening exchanges and cooperation with Chongqing in various fields, which is also one of the main purposes of this trip.”

“China is the first stop of my diplomatic career, and therefore, China has special significance for me.” Prior to his appointment as ambassador to China, Alvarez was a scholar of international law and international relations, and during his tenure as a university professor for more than a decade, he followed the development of Asia and China, which laid the foundation for his appointment.

With the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Republic of El Salvador, Alvarez’s “wish” finally came true, and serving as the ambassador to China brought him a unique and extraordinary experience. “I’ve always wanted to come to China because everything here is full of vitality. We are close friends and great partners. And I believe China-El Salvador relations will become stronger, closer, more confident, and more integrated over time.”

Good Momentum Shown in Economic and Trade Exchanges Between Chongqing and El Salvador

In 2022, the trade volume of Chongqing with El Salvador reached RMB349 million, a year-on-year increase of 45.5%. “I am very surprised and pleased at the recent growth in our trade, especially since it has continued to grow last year despite all the complicated circumstances. The good momentum of economic and trade exchanges between El Salvador and Chongqing makes me more confident about this year.” “I think Chongqing and El Salvador share infinite possibilities of cooperation. We will strengthen the ties and cooperation with Chongqing in various fields, such as intelligent manufacturing, trade and investment, cultural and academic exchanges, tourism and so on. This will mark the beginning of the comprehensive cooperation between people of the two places.”

El Salvador is one of the most efficient producers of coffee in the world with the El Salvadoran coffee renowned for its brilliant flavor. Coffee is one of El Salvador’s main agricultural exports. “During this trip, we had discussions and exchanges with coffee enterprises in Chongqing and reached a consensus on cooperation. We look forward to seeing more EI Salvadoran coffee exported to Chongqing and enjoyed by Chongqing citizens. In the future, we will produce and export more diversified products to China.”

Further Promote People-to-People Exchanges and Mutual Learning of Tourism

“This is my second visit to Chongqing. The up-and-down terrain of this city reminds me of my own country.” Alvarez also expressed his love for Chongqing cuisine. “I love spicy food and have tasted Chongqing food while working in other cities such as Beijing. This time I had a chance to taste the local Chongqing beer, which is amazing and as high-quality as that of famous European brands. I highly recommend it.”

During their stay in Chongqing, Alvarez and his colleagues visited the Residence of Zhou Enlai, Guiyuan and old lanes of Chongqing, which left a deep impression on him. “It was an extraordinary historical journey. I knew the story of Zhou Enlai and what he contributed to the New China before, so when I saw the photos, the rooms and the furniture, it was like witnessing the history.”

Known as the Land of Volcanoes and located in northern Central America, El Salvador has beautiful scenery and a pleasant climate, making it a paradise for eco-tourists. “El Salvador is not familiar to some people, so one of my tasks is to promote it.”

On October 23, 2022, the visa waiver agreement between China and El Salvador came into effect, temporarily for diplomatic and government personnel of the two countries. Alvarez said that in order to promote the development of tourism, the two countries are also negotiating a visa-free agreement for general public, which will further boost people-to-people exchanges and mutual learning in tourism.

Source: Chongqing Foreign Affairs Official WeChat Account

“重庆是中国新特大城市的未来，重庆的发展就像正在腾飞的火箭。在我看来，这座城市正在引领中国中西部的发展。”2月1日至3日，萨尔瓦多驻华大使阿尔多·阿尔瓦雷斯来渝访问，并接受媒体采访，“我们非常看好重庆未来的发展前景，期待与重庆加强各领域交流合作，这也是此行的主要目的之一。”

“中国是我外交生涯的第一站，对我而言，中国有特别的意义。”出任驻华大使前，阿尔瓦雷斯是一位国际法和国际关系领域的学者，在过去十几年任职大学教授期间，他一直关注着亚洲与中国的发展变化，这也为他出任驻华大使奠定了基础。

随着中萨建交，阿尔瓦雷斯的“心愿”得以实现，担任驻华大使给他带来一种独特和非凡的经历。“我一直很想到中国来，这里的一切都充满生机活力。我们是紧密的伙伴，相信萨中关系会随着时间推移变得更强，变得更亲密，更自信，更融合。”

“萨尔瓦多与重庆经贸往来势头良好”

2022年，重庆与萨尔瓦多进出口额达3.49亿元，同比增长45.5%。“对于我们最近的贸易增长，感到非常惊讶和欣喜，尤其是去年在各种复杂情况下，它仍然持续增长，萨尔瓦多与重庆经贸往来势头良好，让我对今年更加充满信心。”

阿尔瓦雷斯认为，重庆现在的发展速度相当快，经济增长势头良好。特别是工业技术方面，例如，汽车、摩托车、电子产品等领域发展势头向好。“我认为重庆和萨尔瓦多合作的可能性是无限的，我们将加强与重庆各领域的联系合作，比如，智能智造、贸易投资、文化和学术交流、旅游等各个方面，这将是两地人民之间全面合作的开始。”

萨尔瓦多是世界上最高效的咖啡生产国之一，举世闻名的萨尔瓦多咖啡风味极佳，咖啡也成为萨尔瓦多主要出口的大宗农产品之一。“此行我们与重庆的咖啡企业进行了座谈交流，达成合作共识。期待看到更多的萨尔瓦多咖啡出口到重庆，希望重庆市民喜欢来自萨尔瓦多的风味，未来我们将生产和出口种类更加多样化的产品到中国。”

“将进一步促进双方人文交流和旅游互鉴”

“这是我第二次访问重庆，这座城市让我想起了自己的国家，这里起起伏伏的地形与萨尔瓦多非常相似。”阿尔瓦雷斯同时表达了对重庆美食的喜爱。“我很爱吃辣，在北京等城市工作时，曾品尝过重庆菜。这次有机会品尝了重庆本地啤酒，非常好喝、品质很高，完全不输任何欧洲品牌啤酒，我非常推荐它。”

在渝期间，阿尔瓦雷斯一行参观了周公馆、桂园，游览山城巷，给他留下深刻印象。“这是一次非凡的历史之旅，因为我知道周恩来的故事，也了解他是如何为新中国作出贡献的，所以当看到那些照片、房间和家具的时候，就像见证了活的历史。”

以“火山之国”著称的萨尔瓦多位于中美洲北部，风景优美，气候宜人，是生态旅行者的天堂。“一些人对萨尔瓦多这个国家还不是特别了解，推介它也是我的任务之一。”

2022年10月23日，中国和萨尔瓦多互免签证协定正式生效，暂时适用于两国的外交人员和政府人员。阿尔瓦雷斯介绍，为促进旅游业发展，针对普通民众的中萨互免签证协定也正在谈判中，这将进一步促进双方人文交流和旅游互鉴。

来源/重庆外事微信公众号