In July, Sichuan welcomed a steady stream of international visitors.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul embarked on his first official visit to China since taking office, centering his core economic and trade agenda in Chengdu—attending the Thailand–China (Sichuan) Investment and Economic Forum and the Opening Ceremony of the Board of Investment (BOI) Section in Chengdu. Nearly 50 Thai enterprises and over 100 business executives accompanied him.

The Opening Ceremony of the Board of Investment (BOI) Section in Chengdu

Concurrently, the APEC Digital Week kicked off in Chengdu as a key supporting event of China's APEC host-year activities in 2026, establishing a high-level platform for cooperation in Asia-Pacific digital economy and artificial intelligence.

Namibian President Ndemupelila Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah finalized procurement plans after inspecting Sichuan's modern agricultural parks, while New Zealand's Minister of Trade and Investment Todd McClay conducted live-streamed sales from a neighborhood fruit shop. From heads of state to ministerial officials, they arrived with government-business delegations and concrete cooperation agendas—not merely as observers.

"A visit to Sichuan offers an excellent window into understanding the real China." said Mohammed Ouzzine, deputy speaker of the Moroccan House of Representatives, who chose Sichuan as the first stop of his inaugural trip to China.

On his first stop in Sichuan, Mohammed Ouzzine visited Kuanzhai Alley in Chengdu to experience the charm of Bashu culture and immerse himself in the local humanistic atmosphere

During his three-day itinerary, he visited the BeiDou-guided autonomous tractor demonstration site in Guanghan and the Humanoid Robotics Innovation Center in Chengdu, remarking, "In Sichuan, I have seen a dynamic and open contemporary China." Thai Prime Minister Anutin also noted that Sichuan is becoming a pivotal hub in Southwest China by leveraging the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor and the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle. This wave of high-level visits constitutes a strong vote of confidence in the development prospects of both Sichuan and China.

Mohammed Ouzzine, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of Morocco, granted an exclusive interview to "Ke Zhi", a feature column of Chuanguan News.

These high-level visits are driving institutionalized cooperation. The Investment Section at the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Chengdu, inaugurated on July 18, marks Thailand's 18th such office globally and its fourth in mainland China, dedicated specifically to facilitating two-way investment between Sichuan-Chongqing and Thailand. At the forum, 24 Thai companies explicitly expressed interest in collaboration across sectors including food and beverages, healthcare, new energy vehicles, artificial intelligence, and clean energy—areas that align closely with Sichuan's key industries. Indonesian Ambassador to China Djauhari Oratmangun also announced plans to establish a consulate-general in Chengdu, stating, "Chengdu will become a new bridge between Indonesia and western China."

Indonesian Ambassador to China Djauhari Oratmangun

Victoria State, Australia, which established a sister-province relationship with Sichuan a decade ago, has maintained mutual visits for four consecutive years; Governor Margaret Gardner praised the fruitful outcomes in education, commerce, and culture.

Margaret Gardner, Governor of Victoria, Australia, accepted an interview with the chief reporter of Chuanguan News. The photo was provided by the Provincial Foreign Affairs Office

International dignitaries are not only "reading" China but actively "co-authoring" a new chapter of win-win cooperation with Sichuan. They have stepped into factories, fields, and markets, seeking concrete opportunities for mutual benefit. In the first half of this year, Sichuan's total goods trade reached RMB 530.38 billion, a record high for the same period in history, with imports growing by 18.5% and 9,110 enterprises reporting actual trade performance.

President of Namibia Ndemupelila Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah visited the Modern Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Demonstration Park of the Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences

This "ledger of mutual openness" demonstrates both the confidence behind China's "going global" strategy and the sincerity of its "bringing in" approach. The book co-written with the world continues to unfold with compelling new chapters!

On June 30, 2025, Chengdu launched the third route of its international freight train service, the 'Chengdu-Europe-Africa' corridor. The photo shows the inaugural train. Photo provided by the Publicity Department of Qingbaijiang District Committee

【本文部分内容由AI辅助生成，特此声明。The author(s) generated part of the content in this work with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI), which is hereby declared.】