On the second visit to Sichuan, Sabino Vaca Narvaja, the Ambassador of Argentina to China brings good news
 

"As the Chinese saying goes,‘Nothing, not even mountains and oceans, can separate people withtheshared goals and missions'. And the Argentine classic poetry ‘Martin Fierro' also mentions that ‘Brothers have to be united, because this is the first law'. Talking about the long-lasting friendship between China and Argentina, the Argentine Ambassador to China, Sabino Vaca Narvaja, mentioned these two famous quotes.

“中国人常说‘志合者，不以山海为远’，阿根廷经典《马丁·费耶罗》中也提到‘兄弟之道是团结同心’，”谈及中阿两国的传统友谊，阿根廷驻华大使牛望道——这位因"阿根廷永远与中国人民在一起"等言论而深受中国人民喜爱的“网红大使”想到了这两句名言。

The year 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Argentina. Recently, the launch ceremony of activities in Sichuan to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Argentina and the China-Argentina Friendship and Cooperation Year 2022 was held in Chengdu. After the launch ceremony, the Argentine Ambassador to China, Sabino Vaca Narvaja, was interviewed by the journalists.

2022年是中国与阿根廷建交50周年。近日，庆祝中国与阿根廷建交50周年暨2022中阿友好合作年四川系列活动启动仪式于在成都举行。启动仪式结束后，阿根廷驻华大使牛望道接受了记者采访。

On hissecond visit to Sichuan, he said,"The only way to truly understandis to visit in person".

再度访川：“只有亲身走访才能真正了解”

Since his appointment as Argentine Ambassador to China in April 2021, Ambassador Sabino Vaca Narvaja has visited more than 20 provinces and cities in China. He has publicly stated that "Sichuan is my favorite, and one of the most impressive provinces." Speaking again about his impressions of Sichuan after his second visit, he said that Sichuan is not only a comfortable place to live, but also one of the most ethnically diverse regions in China, with abundant humanistic flatus. Sichuan is also one of the most outstanding regions for biodiversity in China, with a long-standing commitment to the conservation of giant pandas and the implementation of the  national ecological protection policies.

自2021年4月履新阿根廷驻华大使后，牛望道大使至今已走访中国超20个省市。他曾公开表示，“四川是我最喜欢的,也是印象最深刻的省份之一。”再次谈及对四川的印象，他表示，四川不仅生活舒适，还是中国民族多样性最突出的地区之一，拥有宝贵的人文财富。同时，四川还是中国生物多样性最突出的地区之一，长期致力于大熊猫的保护工作，并积极响应国家生态保护政策。

On his second visit to Sichuan, Ambassador Sabino Vaca Narvaja visited Chengdu, Beichuan and Dujiangyan. He believes that China is a vast and culturally rich country that can only be truly understood by visiting it firsthand. Every time he comes to Sichuan and visits a new city or autonomous prefecture, he always finds something new. He felt the resilience of the people of Beichuan in the village of Tianba in Beichuan Qiang Autonomous County, where they rebuilt their homes with the support of the whole country after the devastating earthquake in 2008. There, he also saw the concrete results of the Chinese government's implementation of the rural revitalization strategy, "Sichuan's location in the central western Chinais of great significance for implementing the rural revitalization strategy and consolidating the results of poverty elimination." And at Dujiangyan, after visiting this outstanding irrigation project designed by Li Bing over 2000 years ago, he was inspired that“as long as we insist on living in harmony with the natural environment, we can achieve the long-term sustainable development."

此次再度访川，牛望道大使走访了成都、北川、都江堰等地。他认为，中国地域广阔，文化丰富，只有亲身走访才能真正了解这个国家。每次来到四川，每当走访新的市州，总能有新的发现。在北川羌族自治县田坝村，他感受到了北川人民坚忍不拔的精神。5·12汶川地震后，他们在全国人民的支持下重建了自己的家园。在那里，他还看到了中国政府实施乡村振兴战略的具体成果，“四川地处西部地区的中心位置，对于落实乡村振兴战略和巩固脱贫成果具有重大意义。”而在都江堰，参观了这项由李冰设计建造于2000多年的杰出灌溉工程后，他深受启发——只要坚持与自然环境和谐共生，我们就能实现长久的可持续发展。

Review of achievements: Sichuan-Afghanistan cooperation results are fruitful

成果回顾：川阿合作硕果累累

At the event, the Ambassador brought the big news that Argentina will set a consulate in Chengdu within the year. "Chengdu is one of China's most promising cities in the fields of science, technology, trade, agriculture and industry, as well as a cultural city that combines ancient and modern elements." The ambassador said that Chengdu has a lifestyle similar to that of Latin America, which creates a good atmosphere for cultural activities as well as scientific and technological innovation. "As an ambassador to China, one of the goals I have set for my work is to expand Argentina's influence in Chinese provinces and cities, especially in the western China." The establishment of the Argentine Consulate in Chengdu will be conducive to deepening cooperation and strengthening local contacts between Sichuan and Argentina. Argentina can also enhance its ties with other regions in western China through Sichuan.

本次活动上，大使带来一个重磅消息：阿根廷将在年内于成都设立领事馆。“成都是中国在科技、贸易、农业、工业等领域最具发展潜力的城市之一，也是融合古老和现代元素的文化名城。”大使表示，成都有着和拉美相似的生活方式，这为开展文化活动以及科技创新创造了良好的氛围。“作为驻华大使，我为自己制定的工作目标之一就是要扩大阿根廷在中国各省市的影响力，特别是在西部地区的影响力。”阿根廷驻成都领事馆的设立将有利于川阿两地深化合作、加强地方交往。阿根廷也可以通过四川增进与西部其他地区的联系。

Looking back on the past year's Sichuan-Argentina cooperation projects, the Ambassador recalls: "China International Alcoholic Drinks Expo in Luzhou invited Argentina as the guest country of honor, allowing us to showcase the development of the Argentine wine industry. Argentina was also the guest country of honor at the Beijing International Film Festival, of which I was invited to attend the opening ceremony... In addition, Chengdu is celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Argentina with a special performance of "Tango in Chengdu”. The ambassador also revealed, “this December, we will also host the Argentine Tango National Championship in Chengdu.”

回顾过去一年的川阿合作项目，大使如数家珍：“在泸州市举办的中国国际酒业博览会邀请阿根廷作为主宾国，让我们得以展示阿根廷葡萄酒产业的发展成果。阿根廷还作为主宾国参加了北京国际电影节，我也应邀参加了电影节开幕式......此外，成都正在举办庆祝中阿建交50周年“探戈舞蓉城”专场演出，大使透露，“今年12月，我们还将在成都举办阿根廷探戈全国锦标赛。”

Looking ahead: deepening cooperation in energy, agriculture, tourism and other areas

展望未来：在能源、农业、旅游等领域深化合作

In addition to the important achievements, the future cooperation between Sichuan and Argentina also sees more possibilities. "With twice the population of Argentina and the larger economy than Argentina, as well as an outstanding location at the new Belt and Road Western Land and Sea Corridor, Sichuan can enhance Argentina's links with Xinjiang, Tibet, Qinghai, Yunnan, Gansu and Guizhou through Sichuan."

除了一系列重要成果，川阿未来合作也将迎来更多的可能性。“四川的人口是阿根廷的两倍，经济体量也超过阿根廷，而且区位优势突出，不仅是‘一带一路’重要节点，并且西部陆海新通道的主要地区，阿根廷可以通过四川增进与新疆、西藏、青海、云南、甘肃和贵州等地的联系。”

As part of his visit to Sichuan, Ambassador Sabino Vaca Narvaja visited Tianqi Lithium Group and witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Tianqi Lithium Corporation and Argentina's YPF Sociedad Anonima oncooperation in the lithium-energy industry chain. This will deepen the China-Argentine cooperationin the field of lithium and new energy. The ambassador said, "Argentina is one of the countries with the richest lithium reserves in the world, and we are conducting studies and will soon come up with a development plan in line with the Chinese government's program to jointly promote the electrification of the automotive industry and effectively combat climate change."

牛望道大使此次访川行程中的重要一项便是到访天齐锂业集团，并见证天齐锂业公司与阿根廷YPF能源公司签署锂电新能源产业链合作备忘录。此举将深化中阿企业在锂电新能源领域的合作。大使表示，“阿根廷是全球锂矿储量最丰富的国家之一，我们正在开展研究，即将出台与中国政府方案一致的发展计划，共同推动汽车产业电动化，有效应对气候变化。”

On agriculture, the Ambassador mentioned that the "China-Argentina Biogas Development and Cooperation Centre" project, jointly set up by the Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture (BIOMA)and the Argentinian National Institute for Agricultural Technology (INTA), was launched in Chengdu in May this year. Next, China and Argentina will make use of their complementary advantages to develop more cooperation in the field of agricultural technology.

农业方面，大使提到，农业农村部沼气科学研究所和阿根廷国家农业科学技术研究院共同设立的“中国-阿根廷沼气发展与合作中心”项目已于今年五月在成都启动，接下来中阿两国将发挥互补优势，在农业技术领域开展更多合作。

In addition, there are promising opportunities for cooperation in tourism between Sichuan and Argentina. "Sichuan is one of the most attractive tourist destinations in China, with its beautiful scenery and many famous monuments. We should strengthen tourist cooperation with Argentina, as it has magnificent natural landscapes and tourism resources such as Iguazu Falls, glaciers, wineries, Antarctica, and many other tourist destinations that are popular among Chinese tourists." The ambassador said, "We are promoting the direct flights to China via the Pacific Ocean by Argentine flag carrier Aerolineas Argentinas and plan to share codes with Chinese airlines to jointly promote tourism cooperation between the two countries."

此外，川阿在旅游方面也有广阔的合作空间。“四川风景秀美，名胜古迹众多，是中国最具吸引力的旅游目的地之一。我们应当加强旅游合作，阿根廷拥有壮美的自然景观和伊瓜苏瀑布、冰川、酒庄、南极等备受中国游客青睐的旅游资源，以及其他许多旅游胜地。”大使表示，“我们正在推动阿根廷载旗航司阿根廷航空开通经太平洋直飞中国的航线，并计划与中国航空公司共享代码，共同推动两国旅游合作发展。”