Spotlight: Culture of innovation binds Argentina, China together

BUENOS AIRES, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- A shared vision of creativity and innovation by China and Argentina will unleash opportunities for the two countries to strengthen ties, say Argentine officials.

A delegation from China's Ministry of Culture, headed by Deputy Director of the Bureau for Foreign Affairs, Li Jiangang, toured the Metropolitan Design Center in the southern Barracas district of the capital Buenos Aires on Friday.

The Chinese delegation met with officials from the Buenos Aires Ministry of Modernization, Innovation and Technology, to discuss opportunities for cooperation and collaboration for mutual benefit.

Chinese business leaders from the technology and cultural sectors also took part in the event, which provided representatives from both countries with a chance to network.

"We are working above all to raise Buenos Aires' profile abroad, in terms of audiovisual services, technological services, design services and professional services in general," the city's director of foreign trade, Agustin Kelly, told Xinhua.

"This activity is very important, since we aren't just showcasing Buenos Aires talent to the world, but also bringing global talent to be able to exchange ideas, experiences and concepts, not just in terms of business, but also in terms of capacities," said Kelly.

Creative industries represent 9 percent of the capital's gross domestic product, and 200,000 jobs.

"Expanding this source of employment in the international market makes the creative or cultural industries stronger and broadens their outlook," said Kelly.

The city's Undersecretary for Foreign Trade and the Creative Economy Silvia Torres Carbonell said these types of meetings serve as a springboard for promoting opportunities for cooperation and collaboration between Chinese companies and their counterparts in Buenos Aires.

"There is much space for cooperation. The access to the Chinese market is enormous, everything the Chinese companies can bring in experience can be highly complemented with creative talent from Argentina," said Torres.

"For the Chinese companies, this cooperation can serve as a gateway to the entire Latin American market, where -- hand in hand with Argentine business people -- very interesting projects can be generated," Torres said.

One factor working in favor of such cooperation is the fact that officials in both countries share the same perspective, she noted.

"The outlook of the Chinese government is very similar, because it is promoting creativity and innovation," Torres said.

"Sometimes, Argentines see China as being in another world, (but) these types of meetings and government measures to promote ties can lead (the two sides) to speak the same language, that of creativity, of business, of creating value," said Torres.

Shanghai is home to the National Base for International Culture Trade, which aims to spur industrial partnerships, joint ventures and new opportunities by organizing expositions and exchanges.

"By working together -- the Buenos Aires city government, China's government and the city of Shanghai -- we can create the space, the ecosystem so the business people themselves can generate the businesses that develop opportunities and projects," said Torres.

"This is the start of a long road of shared ties, profitable for both sides," she added.

The event this year was organized as part of the Year of China-Latin America Cultural Exchange.