Chile's participation at Shanghai Expo a historical event
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Chile's participation in the Shanghai World Expo is an important event in the history of Sino-Chilean relations, says Hernan Somerville, Chile's commissioner general to the Expo.
The expo is an opportunity for Chile to build its image in China, boost bilateral trade, and attract investment and tourists, according to Somerville.
"In five years, ten years and 20 years, Chileans are going to be very happy we were here," he said.
Somerville said the pavilion hopes to impress on Chinese people that it is a reliable partner, despite the distance between the two nations.
"Chile and China sit on two opposite ends of the earth. As an old Chilean saying goes, if you dig a hole that is deep enough, you can probably reach China," he quipped.
"But the two countries enjoy very close ties, especially in bilateral trade," he noted.
Chile was the first Latin America country to sign a free trade agreement with China. The deal was inked on Nov. 18, 2005, and went into effect on Oct. 1, 2006.
Chile is also the only Latin America country whose main trade partner is China. Bilateral trade hit a record-high 16.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2009.
The cost of the Chile pavilion will amount to around 24 million U.S. dollars in total. For Somerville, it is money well spent.
"To be very honest, I'm very happy that we will spend this much on the pavilion. It's the best kind of investment for our country."
"Our investment and efforts here are intangible. They show to China that we are a serious country; a responsible country; a very professional country," he added.
The pavilion's interactions with people and the networks and connections that it helps build are invaluable for future cooperation between Chile and China, Somerville said.
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