On the afternoon of June 27, 2023, China-Latin America Youth Development Experience Exchange Conference and Launching Ceremony of the China-Latin America Forum Young Diplomats' Guangdong Tour was held in Conference Room 201, Yuehai Campus of Shenzhen University with more than 30 participants, including representatives of young diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, 15 CELAC member countries, the Office of Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, Shenzhen Office of Foreign Affairs Commission, and China Center for Special Economic Zone Research (CCSEZR), Shenzhen University (SZU).
Organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, as the starting point of the China-Latin America Forum Young Diplomats' Guangdong Tour, this event provides a platform for representatives to exchange relative policies and experience in the achievements of Shenzhen's reform and opening up and the construction of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) with CCSEZR. Attended the meeting were Yang Shijun, Counselor, Department of Latin America Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, Deputy Director Rong Yi, Department of American and Oceanian Affairs, the Office of Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, Su Mingrui, China Diplomatic Academy, Fan Bin, Department of American and Oceanian Affairs, the Office of Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, Li Xiuyuan, Shenzhen Office of Foreign Affairs Commission, Fresciale Centeno Peralta, Advisor of the Nicaraguan Diplomatic Academy, and Eduardo Campos Narvaez, Counselor of the Permanent Mission of Honduras in Geneva, and other diplomats from 15 countries. Attendees from CCSEZR were: Director Tao Yitao, Deputy Director Li Fan, former Deputy Director Yuan Yiming, Associate Prof. Yun Wenjie, Assistant Prof. Huang Yiheng, Assistant Prof. Lai Mianshan, Assistant Prof. Luo Yifeng, and doctoral student Wang Yuren.
Director Tao Yitao
Director Tao delivered the welcoming speech and introduced distinctive contributions and academic achievements CCSEZR has made in publicizing China's Path and the successful experience of China’s SEZs typified by Shenzhen. She highlighted the English-language publications about research on SEZs of CCSEZR. Prof. Tao also talked about her views and opinions on the development experience of the Shenzhen SEZ.
The meeting was hosted by Deputy Director Li Fan, who announced the "Launching of the Young Diplomats' Guangdong Tour!". Then Gretel Hernandez from Cuba, Eduardo Navas from Honduras, Fresciale Peralta from Nicaragua, and David Eduardo Montoya Quilama from Colombia asked questions on SEZs development, the introduction of foreign investment and taxation, SEZs and FTZs, and anti-corruption. Prof. Yuan Yiming, Associate Prof. Yun Wenjie, Prof. Tao Yitao, Assistant Prof. Huang Yiheng, and Assistant Prof. Luo Yifeng answered the questions and interactively communicated with them respectively.
The meeting was held in English in an amiable and active atmosphere, which was quite efficient. Both sides discussed the development of SEZs. It is believed that this communication will have a positive impact on further expanding the CCSEZR’s academic influence in Latin America.
Director Tao Yitao and Counselor Yang Shijun, Department of Latin America Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China
Group photo after the meeting
