从世界谷仓到世界超市
文｜盖铁戈（ H.E. Ambassador Diego Ramiro Guelar） 阿根廷共和国驻华大使 翻译｜阿根廷共和国驻华大使馆
我们的挑战主要集中在如何为农牧业产品增加附加值上。我们不能一直做世界谷仓，而是要成为全世界的超级市场
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从世界谷仓到世界超市
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多方面的合作
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进口博览会的机遇
阿根廷共和国与中华人民共和国于1972年建立了外交关系。在建交最初的30年，我们两国并没有太多的外交成果，直到进入21世纪后，两国的关系才日益密切。
两国贸易关系中的“明星”有大豆、豆油、牛肉（阿根廷肉类出口的60%都流向了中国），最近又增添了水果葡萄、蓝莓和豌豆（中国市场刚刚放开了这些产品的准入）。明年，猪肉也将成为重要的出口产品。
从世界谷仓到世界超市
阿根廷目前面临着三项巨大挑战：1.减少与中国过高的贸易逆差-两国总贸易额约140亿美元，而阿根廷面临的逆差有80亿美元；2.增加农牧业产品的附加值，让阿根廷农牧产品走进中国的超市；3.推动矿业生产发展（我们有丰富的铜、金、锂、钾等矿藏），争取与我们的邻国智利、秘鲁和巴西在这一方面并驾齐驱，这些国家的贸易顺差主要来源于大量的矿产出口。
关于第一个目标：减少贸易逆差。我们必须意识到，我们的出口产品主要集中在原材料上，85%的出口产品是几乎未经处理的大豆、肉类和燃料。和秘鲁、智利与巴西不同，我们的矿产产品目前还不占据重要地位。
另一方面，中国的出口产品均具有很高的工业附加值（资本产品和电子产品）。我们的挑战主要集中在如何为农牧业产品增加附加值上。马克里总统多次指出，“我们不能一直做世界谷仓，而是要成为全世界的超级市场。”如果观察一下阿根廷国内消费，就会发现，我们的产品种类多样，纷繁复杂，并且具有极高的营养价值。
多年以来的与世隔绝让我们的农业产业专注于满足内需，仅仅有很少的部分出口到我们的邻国。
第三个巨大挑战则处在矿业领域，中国已经通过一笔重要的收购为我们做了很大贡献：山东黄金集团收购了加拿大巴里克矿业公司在圣胡安省韦拉德罗金矿50%的股权。巴里克与山东黄金两者合资后成为了世界上最大的矿业企业，在阿根廷的三个项目中投资额达到30亿美元。
算上其他正在进行的项目，中国与阿根廷之间在矿业领域的全面战略伙伴关系已经成为平衡两国贸易的重要因素。
无论如何，发展“出口基础设施”是我们工作的重中之重：毕竟中阿两国相距2万多公里。我们必须让产品至少到达中国的11个免税区之一，因为一旦到了免税区，它们将有机会被销售到超市或通过电子商务的形式到达消费者的家中。
我们必须在免税区建设自己的“枢纽”，目前我们正在同科瑞公司合作在上海建设第一个枢纽，之后我们会在广州、香港和天津继续建设。
多方面的合作
当然，阿根廷和中国的关系绝不仅仅在于贸易！投资和金融领域也十分重要，并且在不断发展：很多中国的重要企业都已经在阿根廷扎了根，例如：葛洲坝（正在建设南部的两座水电站）、中国电建（正在建设拉美最大的300MW光伏电站）、中粮（阿根廷粮食的第二大出口商）、中海油和中石化（继阿根廷国家石油公司（YPF）后的第二大和第三大石油公司）等等。
中国工商银行，即中国最大的商业银行，收购了阿根廷第三大私有银行；中国银行也刚刚宣布了在阿根廷设立分行的决定。
一项全新的合作计划让两国关系的篇章更加丰富，这就是PPP（公私合营）项目计划，在这个计划中，私人企业可以自行承担风险，使用无需主权担保的融资来进行公共工程项目建设。最近，有六条道路建设项目由不同企业集团成功中标。这些项目其中之一由中建美国有限公司中标（它是中国建筑的子公司，中国最大的也是世界上最重要的建筑公司之一），投资额达到12亿美元。
另外一个重要领域则是铁路网络修缮和设备供应。我们两国之间正在进行一项价值70亿美元的机车头和车厢供应项目，目前项目已经执行了70%，未来还将追加10亿美元投资。
当然我们不能忘记，在参加11月30日开始的G20峰会之后，习近平主席将于12月1日对阿根廷进行正式国事访问，在此期间，他将与马克里总统共同签署以中国技术为核心的核能建设项目协议。
这些只是数以百计在阿根廷开展业务的中国企业的冰山一角，他们还积极参与到渔业、医药、酒店运营、电信等众多领域中：华为将它的区域总部设在了布宜诺斯艾利斯，中兴则在阿根廷许多城市进行“智慧城市”建设。
当然，在阿根廷的华人群体“阿根华”们也在蓬勃发展，目前他们有18万人口，唐人街也已经成为重要的旅游景点。
两国文化交流也在蓬勃发展。2019年，中国文化中心将在布宜诺斯艾利斯市揭幕，同时阿根廷驻华大使馆也已经与798艺术中心的机遇空间签署协议，成立“阿根廷文化中心”，举办各类文化活动。
阿根廷目前已经开办了3家孔子学院，几千名年轻人到这里学习中文。布宜诺斯艾利斯市还拥有在中国以外的唯一一家中西双语公立学校。但我们的故事才刚刚开始。
进口博览会的机遇
最后，值得一提的是，中华人民共和国将于11月5日至10日邀请来自全世界的出口商参加将在上海举行的首届国际进口博览会。该博览会将成为所有希望将产品销往中国的出口商的一年一度的盛会。得益于蓬勃发展的国内市场，中国的进口是出口增速的两倍。
我们相信本次在上海举办的博览会将展示中国继续开放市场的决心，同时也能证明，中国不寻求从合作伙伴那里获取贸易顺差，而是努力创造贸易平衡，形成共赢局面。
我们正在不断努力，让更多阿根廷企业抓住上海进口博览会这次重要机遇。
中国贫穷、孤立、技术落后、市场封闭的历史早已成为过去。
现代的中国已经通过过去40年的努力实现了人类历史上最伟大的经济和社会变革。
21世纪是“中国的世纪”，“一带一路”倡议将全面发展，促进各国互联互通、共同发展，并为各国人民带来福祉，我们也会从中国的推动力和创造力中获益。
我们，阿根廷人，也非常谦恭地盼望中国的世纪也能是“我们的世纪”。（编辑：杨海霞）
英文版：
ARGENCHINA
By H.E. Ambassador Diego Ramiro Guelar of the Republic of Argentina to China
The Argentine Republic and the People's Republic of China established diplomatic relations in February 1972. During the first 30 years, almost nothing significant happened between our two countries. It was not until the beginning of the 21st century when the bond begins to strengthen.
The "stars" of the commercial relationship are the bean and soybean oil, the bovine meat -60% of the meat that Argentina exports to the world comes to China- and, most recently, the table grape, the blueberries and the peas (the market for these products has just opened). We will also add pork products next year.
Argentina faces 3 major challenges: I) reduce the very large trade deficit with China – among $ 14 billion of bilateral trade, we have $ 8000 of deficit; II) add value to our agricultural production to sell products that can reach Chinese supermarkets; III) develop our mining production – we have rich deposits of copper, gold, lithium and potassium – that would allow us to join neighboring countries such as Chile, Peru and Brazil, whose commercial surpluses are based on their important mineral exports.
Regarding the first objective – reduction of the trade deficit -, we have to recognize that our exports are concentrated in raw materials – 85% is made up of soybeans, meats with a low processing index and fuels. In our case, unlike Peru, Chile or Brazil, mining products do not yet have significant value.
On the other hand, Chinese exports are composed of products with high industrial added value (capital goods and electronic products). Our great challenge lies in the aggregation of value to our agricultural production. President Macri always points out that "we must stop being the granary of the world and transform ourselves into the supermarket of the world". It is very striking to see how Argentina produces the most diverse products with great sophistication in its presentation and high nutritional quality for domestic consumption.
Many years of isolation lead us to situate our agroindustry as a provider for the local market and, only in small quantities, to our neighbors.
In the case of the third major challenge – the development of the mining sector -, China has contributed with a very important acquisition: the Shandong Gold company bought from Canada’s Barrick, 50% of the Veladero gold mine in the province of San Juan; together – Barrick and Shandong Gold – are the first mining company in the world, and have in Argentina three investment projects totaling $ 3 billion.
In addition to other ongoing projects, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between China and Argentina will have a key sector in mining that will balance our trade.
In all cases, it is essential that we advance in the development of the "export infrastructure": our country is located 20,000 km away from China. Our products have to reach at least one of the 11 free zones so that, once there, they would be able to be sold to supermarkets and / or to consumers' homes by e-commerce.
We have to establish "hubs" in these free zones – we are already organizing the first in Shanghai with the company Kerui and we will continue to organize the next ones in Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Tianjin.
Of course, the whole relationship between Argentina and China is not just about trade! Investments and finances are very important and growing chapters, too: important Chinese companies are already installed in Argentina: Gezhouba (constructing 2 hydroelectric dams), PowerChina (constructing a 300 mgwts solar plant – the most important in Latin America), Cofco (2nd exporter of Argentine grains), CNOOC and Sinopec (2nd and 3rd oil companies after the Argentine State-owned YPF),etc.
ICBC – China's leading commercial bank – has acquired the 3rd most important private bank in Argentina, and Bank of China has just announced its decision to settle in the country.
A new proposal that is being constituted in a very rich chapter of our relationship are the PPP (Private Public Participation) projects, by which private companies face public works projects at their own risk with financing that does not require a sovereign guarantee. The most recent – the tender for six road corridors – has been successfully awarded to different business groups. One of these projects has been won by a Chinese company: China Construction America S.A (subsidiary of CSCEC, the largest civil construction company in China and one of the largest in the world), and represents an investment of U.S. $ 1.2 billion.
Another chapter to highlight is the retrofitting and enhancement of the rail network. We have a procuring program of $ 7 billion on locomotives and wagons, which is 70% executed and will be expanded by another $ 1 billion.
We cannot forget that the project of the nuclear plant with Chinese technology will be signed by Presidents Xi and Macri on December 1 of the current year in the framework of the State Visit of the Chinese president, to be held immediately after the G-20 summit, which will take place from November 30 to December 1 of this year.
These are only some examples among hundreds who participate in very diverse activities that include the fishing sector, the pharmacist, the hotelier, the communications – Huawei has its regional headquarters in Buenos Aires and ZTE is carrying out its "smart cities" program in several cities in Argentina
We also have a thriving "Argenchina" community – with more than 180000 members – and the "Chinatown" has become a great tourist attraction.
The chapter on "Cultural Exchange" has been developing with great intensity. In the year of 2019 China will inaugurate its Cultural Center in Buenos Aires, while the Argentine Embassy has signed an agreement with AIO Space – in the neighborhood of 798 – which runs the "Argentine Cultural Center" with an intense agenda of cultural activities.
The Confucius Institute has opened 3 venues where several thousand young people are studying Chinese-Mandarin. The city of Buenos Aires has the only public Chinese-Spanish bilingual school outside China. And this story is just beginning.
Finally, it is noteworthy that the People's Republic of China convenes, for the first time, all exporters in the world to the great Shanghai Fair – between November 5 and 10 -, which will become an annual event for all who want to sell their products to China. Chinese imports grow twice as much as their exports, stimulated by their booming domestic market.
We are convinced that this fair in Shanghai demonstrates the decision to open the Chinese market, as well as proves that China does not seek to achieve a trade surplus with its partners but makes efforts to achieve a balanced trade in line with the win- win situation.
We are working hard to make many Argentine companies to take full advantage of this opportunity presented by the Shanghai fair.
The history of a poor, isolated China, with low technological development and a market closed to the world, are things of the past.
Modern China has materialized in the last 40 years the greatest process of economic and social change in the history of Humanity.
The 21st century is the "Century of China", in which the "Belt and Road" initiative will be fully developed in favor of connectivity, progress and well-being for many nations and we will also benefit from the Chinese impulse and creativity.
Humbly, we, the Argentines, hope that it is also "our century".
