Consular Officers in Rongchang for History, Culture, and Traditional Folk Customs of Dragon Boat Festival

哥伦比亚驻华大使塞尔希奥·卡夫雷拉：
“重庆制造”在哥伦比亚很受欢迎

“Chongqing boasts unparalleled geographical advantages as it is situated at the confluence of two rivers and is renowned as a mountainous city with distinct architectural features. However, what impressed me the most during my first visit to Chongqing on June 16 was its people. They are friendly, outgoing, and highly creative,” said Colombian Ambassador to China Sergio Cabrera as he shared his impressions with the media about his first visit to Chongqing.

From June 14 to 17, Sergio Cabrera paid a visit to Chongqing, where he visited enterprises, as well as the Belt and Road Commodity Exhibition and Trading Center. Additionally, he engaged in discussions with university students and teachers, participated in music radio programs to promote the cultural charm of Colombia, and further explored cooperation opportunities between Colombia and Chongqing in various fields.

Commodity Display Windows for Communication and Mutual Learning

“Chongqing-made commodities are very unique and attractive,” introduced Cabrera, adding that in Medellín, Colombia, there is a Chongqing Commodity (Colombia) Exhibition Center, where many Chongqing commodities sold are much welcomed in Colombia, especially automobiles, motorcycles, and electronic information equipment.

During his stay in Chongqing, Sergio Cabrera also went to the Colombian pavilion at the Belt and Road Commodity Exhibition and Trading Center, which is currently in preparation. He expressed that setting up commodity display windows in each other’s country would be beneficial for mutual learning and communication.

He also told us that during this visit, he saw Chongqing’s fruitful achievements in its recent years of development and that it would be highly meaningful for Medellín to learn from Chongqing’s advanced development experience. Medellín has placed particular emphasis on innovative sectors and has achieved remarkable accomplishments, especially in areas like medical education, which are worth Chongqing’s attention as well.

Medellín, the hometown of Cabrera, has established internationally friendly exchanges with Chongqing. According to Cabrera’s introduction, the natural environments of Chongqing and Medellín bear striking resemblances, and presently, both cities are actively working toward establishing a sister-city relationship.

On September 15, 2021, the two cities officially inked a Memorandum of Understanding for establishing sister-city relations. Alongside this, the Chongqing Commodity (Colombia) Exhibition Center was inaugurated in Medellín, to showcase and sell various Chongqing branded commodities such as automobiles, motorcycles, hardware, and hotpot condiments.

 

Thriving Development of Chongqing Enterprises in Colombia

 重庆市与麦德林市建立友好城市关系谅解备忘录签署仪式暨中国品牌商品（哥伦比亚）展开幕式。

Cabrera also made visits to two representative Chongqing enterprises, namely, the Liangjiang Smart Factory of Chongqing Seres Electric Vehicle Co., Ltd., and Chongqing Haifu Medical Technology Co. Ltd. He highly praised the modern technologies and innovative medical advancements of Chongqing.

“The modern technology-oriented automotive company, Seres Electric Vehicle, impressed me with its high production efficiency and excellent commodity quality. I believe that such commodities will be well received by the people of Colombia. Haifu Medical Technology is dedicated to non-invasive treatment technology, which is truly amazing,” said Cabrera, noting that both companies are industry leaders. Haifu Medical Technology has already entered the Colombian market and initiated relevant collaborations, while Seres Electric Vehicle is also on the verge of expanding into the Colombian market.

“The development of Chongqing enterprises in Colombia has been remarkable. Judging from the trade volume between the two sides, Chongqing’s total exports to Colombia far outweigh the total imports from Colombia,” Cabrera told us. He hoped that more Colombian enterprises would enter the Chongqing market while increasing exports to Chongqing. He believes that there is potential for Colombia and Chongqing to further broaden their cooperation in various fields like education and tourism.

 

Sergio Cabrera’s 60-Year Bond with China

Cabrera’s ties with China can be traced back to 60 years ago when he spent his teenage time in this country, thus developing a profound and distinctive connection with China.

In 1963, 13-year-old Cabrera followed his parents to Beijing and lived there. He studied at Beijing Chongwen Elementary School for three years. In 1972, he came to China once again, where he spent two years studying medicine and philosophy. During this time, Cabrera also pursued his interest to be an amateur filmmaker, creating his first short film.

Afterward, he went to the United Kingdom to further his studies in directing and became a famous film and television director, screenwriter, and producer by creating multiple influential Colombian films and TV dramas.

“Even though my experiences of studying and living in China are from a long time ago, they still remain fresh in my memory,” said Cabrera. His Chinese teacher gave him the Chinese name Zhiqiang, meaning a person with his own ideas and strong determination. Cabrera maintains contact with many of the friends he made back then, and whenever he comes to China, he will dine out and chat with them. Over the past more than 50 years, he has made multiple trips between Colombia and China, bridging the two countries in terms of culture and friendship.

In March of this year, Cabrera returned to China again, this time in the capacity of the Colombian Ambassador to China. He expressed his commitment to further enhancing the interactions between Colombia and China and fostering the development of bilateral relations. He hopes for both countries to enhance their collaboration, deepen their friendship, and strive for mutually beneficial and win-win outcomes.

 

Photo/The Foreign Affairs Office of the Chongqing Municipal Government & The Interviewee

“重庆，有得天独厚的地理条件，这里两江交汇，还是著名的山城，建筑极具特色；最让我印象深刻的还是这里的人民，他们友好、开朗、富有创造力。”6月16日，首次来渝访问的哥伦比亚驻华大使塞尔希奥·卡夫雷拉在接受媒体采访时这样描述其重庆“初体验”。

6月14日至17日，卡夫雷拉访问重庆，考察企业及“一带一路”商品展示交易中心，与高校师生座谈交流，做客音乐广播节目推介哥伦比亚人文风情，进一步挖掘哥伦比亚与重庆各领域的合作机遇。

两地互设商品展示窗口促进交流借鉴

“‘重庆制造’很有特色，很有吸引力!”卡夫雷拉介绍，哥伦比亚麦德林市设有重庆商品（哥伦比亚）展示中心，很多重庆的产品在哥伦比亚大受欢迎，尤其是重庆生产的汽车、摩托车以及电子信息设备等。

在渝期间，卡夫雷拉还前往“一带一路”商品展示交易中心考察了正在筹备中的哥伦比亚国家馆。他表示，两地互设商品展示窗口，有利于相互学习、交流和借鉴。

卡夫雷拉说，此访看到了重庆近年来发展所取得的丰硕成果，学习重庆先进的发展经验，对于麦德林来说非常有意义。麦德林专注于创新领域，包括在医学教育等方面都取得了显著成绩，这些发展经验对重庆来说同样值得关注。

麦德林是重庆的国际友好交流城市，也是卡夫雷拉的家乡。他介绍，重庆的自然环境与麦德林非常相似，现在，两座城市正在推动建立友好城市关系。

重庆市与麦德林市于2021年9月15日在线上签署友好城市关系谅解备忘录，重庆商品（哥伦比亚）展示中心在麦德林同期开馆，展示销售汽车、摩托车、五金制品、火锅底料等重庆品牌商品。

渝企在哥伦比亚发展良好

在渝期间，卡夫雷拉还考察了重庆赛力斯电动汽车有限公司两江智慧工厂和重庆海扶医疗科技股份有限公司两家具有代表性的渝企，对重庆的现代科技、创新医疗大加赞赏。

      

 “现代化的科技型汽车企业赛力斯生产效率高，产品质量好，相信这样的产品会受到哥伦比亚民众的喜爱。海扶医疗致力于无创治疗技术，该项技术让人惊叹！”卡夫雷拉表示，两家企业都在行业内处于领先地位。海扶医疗已经进入了哥伦比亚市场并开展相关合作，还在持续深入探索，而赛力斯也即将开辟哥伦比亚市场。

“重庆企业在哥伦比亚的发展非常好，从双方的贸易额来看，重庆对哥伦比亚的出口总额远大于从哥伦比亚的进口总额。”卡夫雷拉说，希望有更多的哥伦比亚企业进入重庆市场，同时加大对重庆的出口。他认为，哥伦比亚和重庆还可以在教育、旅游等更多领域拓展合作。

大使与中国的60年不解之缘

 

卡夫雷拉（右一）在中国度过了青少年时光。

卡夫雷拉与中国的缘分可以追溯到60年前，他在中国度过了青少年时光，对中国有非常深厚而独特的感情。

1963年，13岁的卡夫雷拉跟随父母来到北京生活，在崇文小学就读3年。1972年，他再次来到中国，在两年时间里，学习医学、哲学。期间，卡夫雷拉还以业余爱好者的方式拍摄了他的第一部短片电影作品。

在那之后，卡夫雷拉到英国学习导演，成为了知名影视导演、编剧和制片人，执导了哥伦比亚一些具有影响力的电影和电视剧。

“尽管过去了很久，但当时在中国学习生活的回忆依然让我印象深刻。”卡夫雷拉说，他的中文老师给他取名“志强”，寓意很有想法、很有志气的人。当初认识的很多朋友至今仍保持联系，每次回到中国，卡夫雷拉都会跟老朋友一起吃饭、交流。50多年间，卡夫雷拉多次往返哥伦比亚和中国，架起哥中两国之间文化和友谊的桥梁。

今年3月，卡夫雷拉以哥伦比亚驻华大使的身份再次回到中国。他表示，将致力于不断深化哥中两国的交往，促进双边关系发展。希望两国加强合作、深化友谊，实现互利共赢。

文/贺煜

图/市政府外办、受访者提供