Representatives of local governments of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela made a successful visit to the People’s Republic of China, with the purpose of advancing the process of twinning between provinces and cities of both nations, exploring new ways of cooperation for shared development from a local perspective, framed in the Strategic Comprehensive Association between both nations.
In this regard, the Secretary General of the Government of the Bolivarian State of Aragua, Ysmel Serrano and the mayor of the Sucre Municipality (Cumaná), Capital of Sucre State, David Velásquez, attended international events held in the Asian country such as: The Forum of Local Governments Cooperation between China – Latin America and the Caribbean and the 2016 China Sister Cities Conference, events aimed at promoting a closer rapprochement between these geographical regions, distant geographically but with growing commercial, political and cultural links.
Mayor Velásquez, who is also coordinator of the Council of Mayors and Mayors of the Homeland, which brings together 260 mayors and mayors from Venezuela, explained: “It has been possible to make an exposition of the progress of the Bolivarian Revolution in development issues Urban and urban agenda vision; As well as the possibilities for cooperation between local and municipal governments, with an umbrella as important as is the bilateral China-Venezuela cooperation, and in addition to that, to project, what should be the relationship between subnational governments in this area of strengthening the Relationship between China and Latin America.
The burgomaster added that this type of events allow the strengthening of policies that in the moment were promoted by Commander Chavez and that today are directed by President Nicolás Maduro, with a view to the construction of a pluripolar, multicentric world, and that in addition to that, internally “To promote the progress of the Bolivarian Economic Agenda, the 15 engines of economic development and the political offensive that we drive in all areas.”
With regard to the twinning process between cities in Latin America, the Caribbean and China, Velasquez explained that the Government of China has been building mechanisms such as the Chinese People’s Friendship Association with the Foreigner and the Sister Cities Association of China; Defined as mechanisms of articulation and cooperation that allow the meeting of metropolis qualified in this way and identify possibilities for cooperation. “The mayoralties and main cities of Venezuela can be integrated into these main spaces of bilateral cooperation and relationship of cities,” he added.
For his part, the Secretary General of Government of the Bolivarian State of Aragua, Ysmel Serrano, announced that next year is expected the visit of the governor of the entity, Tarek El Aissami, with the purpose of specifying the signing of the twinning between that central state Venezuelan and the Chinese province of Shandong.
He also said that in this first working tour, has been accompanied by businessmen from Aragua state, representatives of various productive sectors such as industrial, textile, construction, and technology,  announced that in Beijing will be held work meetings, with chambers of commerce, Industrial and commercial, of China.
When asked about the importance of Shandong in particular as a province to sign a twinning, the high official of the Government of Aragua explained:
“President Chávez visited these lands in 1999 and then he did so on other occasions, laying the foundations of this relationship with the Chinese people. Our President Nicolas Maduro was only in 2013 once in Shandong and upon his return to Venezuela he instructed us to establish such direct links between the Shandong Province and the Bolivarian Government of the Aragua State. ”
He also said that the aforementioned Chinese province now occupies the third place of the Chinese economy and of course is leading in several areas such as agriculture, industry and technology.
Both officials also held meetings with local authorities from other Chinese cities and agreed that the developed agenda contributes to the development of the Bolivarian Economic Agenda promoted by President Nicolás Maduro, through 15 engines, one of these engines is the industrial, the agri-food, the pharmaceutical and the one related to the hydrocarbons, of vital importance for both nations.