楊艷

Discussing the Impression on Chongqing over a Cup of Tea

Serving tea to guests and friends is one of the traditions of the Chinese people. On March 24， the exclusive interview with H.E. Ambassador Siyabonga C. Cwele started with a pot of Rooibos Tea from South Africa. This is his first visit to Chongqing since he was appointed Ambassador of South Africa to China.

During his one-week visit， he met with the officials of the Chongqing Municipal Government， had discussions with the government departments， visited local companies， schools， Chongqing Planning Exhibition Gallery， and Hongyan Revolution Memorial Hall， and gave speeches at local universities. This busy schedule sparks many inspirations.

“Over the past two years， weve been planning to visit Chongqing because people in Beijing are full of praise for the beautiful city. Why does this city enjoy such fast development？ How do you build it into a manufacturing hub？ Now I know the recipe，” said H.E. Ambassador Siyabonga C. Cwele. “Chongqings mountains， rivers， and scenery are so impressive， and its tourism is flourishing. I will invite my friends to Chongqing to explore the beautiful scenery here， and Chongqing is a modern metropolis that develops rapidly，” he added.

Facilitating Trade and Investment Exchanges Through Complementary Resources

South Africa is one of Chongqings most important partners in Africa. Our cooperation and exchanges in economy， trade， science， and education have yielded fruitful achievements. Over two decades ago， Chongqing and Mpumalanga established the sister relationship. Friendly cooperative relations have been established between Chongqing Municipality and Gauteng Province， Chongqing Yubei District and Buffalo City， with quality platforms set up to facilitate exchanges between Chongqing and South Africa.

In 2022， the total volume of exports and imports between Chongqing and South Africa reached RMB4.11 billion， up by 39.3% year-on-year. The volume of exports hit RMB3.14 billion， a 40% year-on-year increase; the volume of imports hit RMB970 million， up by 36.9%. Chongqings executed value of offshore service outsourcing contracts stood at USD19.14 million， up by 2.15% year-on-year. Services provided include industrial design and I.T. solutions.

During his visit to Chongqing， he attended China （Chongqing）-South Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation Conference. He witnessed the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Council for the Promotion of International Trade Chongqing with the Economic Department of the South African Embassy in Beijing， China.

H.E. Ambassador Siyabonga C. Cwele highly recognizes Chongqings socio-economic development achievements. “Establishing and improving an official communication mechanism matters. Many people love our quality products， such as diamonds， red wine， and fruits. We can export them and facilitate our trade and investment exchanges. South African companies are encouraged to invest in Chongqing， and good conditions have been created for investors here. Chongqing companies are encouraged to invest in South Africa as well， which urgently needs intelligent manufacturing， the most advanced manufacturing technology. The digital economy is transforming our industries， and we can cooperate. South Africa accounts for 40% of the industrial production value in Africa， and we need to make quick moves to help our industries go digital and maintain our global competitiveness，” he said.

Chongqings Advanced Medical Technology Benefiting South African People

Over the years， Chongqing and South Africa have engaged in close medical exchanges. In 2015， Chongqing Haifu Medical Technology Co.， Ltd. established the first Chongqing Haifu Focused Ultrasound Treatment Center on the African continent in Bara Hospital， Gauteng Province， South Africa. Hundreds of patients with uterine fibroids have been treated at the center. In the same year， Chongqing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital signed a cooperation agreement with the South African Oriental Medical Center to collaborate in training professional talents， lecturing， and academic exchanges in traditional medicine.

H.E. Ambassador Siyabonga C. Cwele， a doctor for ten years before becoming a diplomat， praised the focused ultrasound technology developed by Chongqing Haifu Medical， “I think it is revolutionary because the non-invasive technique can treat tumors without any incisions. Now， this technique is used to train African doctors， and it has been promoted from South Africa to other African countries. This is what we need most because it reduces the cost of treatment and the patients time staying in hospitals. It has been very effective and beneficial in improving the quality of life of our people， so we will continue to work with Haifu Medical and other medical companies in Chongqing.”

The “City of Mountains and Waters” Meeting the “Western Maritime Lifeline”

The Republic of South Africa is located at the southernmost tip of Africa. The Cape of Good Hope route at its southwest end has always been one of the busiest sea passages in the world， known as the “Western Maritime Lifeline”. In early 2023， South Africa became one of the first 20 nations where overseas group tours resumed from China.

As a city of mountains and waters， Chongqing is surrounded by lucid rivers and lush gorges， known as the “8D Magic City” and the “Standing City”. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council （WTTC）， Chongqing ranked first in the world's top 10 fastest-growing tourism cities for two consecutive years.

This visit has allowed H.E. Ambassador Siyabonga C. Cwele to learn more about Chongqing's urban vitality， strength， and charm. “Travelers usually go to Johannesburg， a cosmopolitan city like Chongqing with plenty of nightlife and great shopping facilities. Many people will buy diamonds in Johannesburg for their lovers and then go to Cape Town， which has the beautiful Table Mountain， one of the world's wonders. There they can also enjoy the scenic view of Robben Island， where both the Indian and Atlantic oceans are in sight. Then travelers can go to Mpumalanga Province to explore the magnificent nature of Africa in the famous Kruger National Park， the largest national park in South Africa，” said H.E. Ambassador Siyabonga C. Cwele.

South Africa has integrated Chinese language teaching into its national education system. Data shows that hundreds of thousands of African students have learned the Chinese language and culture in recent years and have gained more opportunities through the “Chinese + Vocational Skills” training program.

“I started to learn Chinese this year， too. Its so difficult， but I like it because I know how important it is to learn this language. With the development of China， Chinese is very likely to become a business language in the future. Our children must learn Chinese because they will grow up in this new global environment，” said H.E. Ambassador Siyabonga C. Cwele in the exclusive interview， “now we will focus on promoting the economic， trade， and people-to-people exchanges between China and South Africa. As South African ambassador to China， I am confident that the relationship between the two countries will go from strength to strength.”

Photo/The Foreign Affairs Office of the Chongqing Municipal Government

共品茶香茶韻 談重慶印象

以茶待客、以茶交友是中國人延續(xù)至今的傳統(tǒng)習俗。3月24日，與以往不同，此次的專訪從品一壺正宗的南非博士茶展開。這是南非駐華大使謝勝文就任以來，首次訪問重慶。

拜訪重慶市政府領導，與市政府相關部門座談，訪問企業(yè)、學校，向重慶高校師生發(fā)表演講，參觀重慶市規(guī)劃展覽館、紅巖革命紀念館等地……一周時間里，大使的行程安排得十分緊湊，感悟頗多。

“在過去兩年里，我們一直在計劃這次訪問，因為我也聽到北京的許多人對這座美麗的城市贊不絕口。你們的城市為何發(fā)展得如此之快？你們是如何成為制造業(yè)中心的？我在這里學到了?！敝貞c的山水美景令謝勝文印象深刻，“重慶的旅游業(yè)非常繁榮，我一定會推薦我的朋友們到重慶，探索更多這座城市的美景，因為重慶是一個飛速發(fā)展的現(xiàn)代大都市?！敝x勝文大使說。

兩地資源互補 建立貿(mào)易聯(lián)系與投資交流

南非是重慶在非洲最重要的合作伙伴之一，兩地在經(jīng)貿(mào)、地方友好、科技教育等領域開展了成果突出的交流與合作。重慶與姆普馬蘭加省已有20多年的友好城市關系，重慶市與豪登省、重慶市渝北區(qū)與布法羅市也分別建立了友好合作關系，成為重慶與南非各層級交往的優(yōu)質平臺資源。

2022年，重慶對南非進出口總額41.1億元，同比增長39.3%。其中，出口額31.4億元，同比增長40%；進口額9.7億元，同比增長36.9%。重慶對南非離岸服務外包執(zhí)行額合計1914萬美元，同比增長2.15%，主要業(yè)務類型包括工業(yè)設計服務、信息技術解決方案服務等。

訪渝期間，謝勝文大使出席了中國（重慶）—南非經(jīng)貿(mào)合作交流會，并見證了重慶市貿(mào)促會與南非駐華大使館經(jīng)濟處簽署合作協(xié)議。

謝勝文大使盛贊重慶經(jīng)濟社會發(fā)展成就，他說：“重要的是在市政府一級建立并加強聯(lián)動機制。很多人喜歡我們的優(yōu)質產(chǎn)品，比如鉆石、紅酒、水果，我們可以出口，并建立相關的貿(mào)易聯(lián)系和投資交流。我們鼓勵南非公司來重慶投資，你們已經(jīng)為投資者創(chuàng)造了良好的條件，也鼓勵重慶企業(yè)到南非投資，因為我們非常需要最現(xiàn)代的制造業(yè)技術，即所謂的智能制造。數(shù)字經(jīng)濟正改變著我們的產(chǎn)業(yè)，我們可以（在這方面）更好地合作。非洲大陸40%的工業(yè)產(chǎn)值來自南非，但我們?nèi)孕枰杆傩袆?，將生產(chǎn)方式轉為數(shù)字化，以保持與世界的競爭力?！?/p>

重慶先進的醫(yī)療技術造福南非人民

多年來，重慶與南非在醫(yī)療方面交流密切。2015年，重慶海扶醫(yī)療在南非豪登省Bara醫(yī)院建立了非洲大陸首個重慶海扶聚焦超聲技術治療中心，已在當?shù)刂委煍?shù)百名子宮肌瘤患者。同年，重慶市中醫(yī)院與南非東方醫(yī)學中心在傳統(tǒng)醫(yī)藥領域簽訂合作協(xié)議，在傳統(tǒng)醫(yī)藥專業(yè)人才培養(yǎng)、講學和學術交流等方面開展合作。

在成為外交官之前，曾做過10年醫(yī)生的謝勝文大使對重慶海扶的聚焦超聲技術大加贊賞：“這項技術我稱之為是一項革命性的技術，因為它是非侵入性的，可以治療腫瘤，而不切割你的皮膚，現(xiàn)在這項技術被用來培訓我們的非洲醫(yī)生，并且從南非傳播到了非洲大陸的其他國家。這是我們最需要的，因為它降低了治療成本，減少了住院時間。它對提高我們公民的生活質量非常有效且非常有益，所以我們將繼續(xù)與重慶海扶和重慶其他的醫(yī)療公司開展合作?！?/p>

“山水之城”遇見“西方海上生命線”

南非共和國地處非洲大陸最南端，其西南端的好望角航線，歷來是世界上最繁忙的海上通道之一，有“西方海上生命線”之稱。2023年初，南非成為首批20個中國團隊出境游試點國家之一。

重慶是一座山環(huán)水繞、江峽相擁的山水之城，有“8D魔幻城市”“站立著的城市”之名。WTTC（世界旅游與旅行社理事會）曾連續(xù)兩年評選重慶為“全球增長最快的十大旅游城市”榜首。

通過此次參訪，謝勝文大使充分感受到了山城重慶的城市活力、實力與魅力。謝勝文說：“去南非，旅行者一般會選擇去約翰內(nèi)斯堡，它是個和重慶一樣的國際化大都市，夜生活豐富，有非常棒的購物設施，很多人會在這里買鉆石送給愛人；然后到開普敦，開普敦有美麗的桌山，這是世界奇觀之一，還可以看到羅賓島的美麗風景，可以同時看到印度洋和大西洋；然后去到姆普馬蘭加省，著名的克魯格國家公園就坐落在那里，它是南非最大的國家公園，在那里你可以看到非洲壯麗的大自然?！?/p>

如今，南非已經(jīng)將漢語教學納入了國民教育體系。數(shù)據(jù)顯示，近年來，已有數(shù)十萬非洲學生通過學習中文，了解中國文化，并通過“中文+職業(yè)技能”課程獲得了更多發(fā)展機會。

“我今年也開始學習漢語了。太困難了，不過我喜歡學，因為懂得漢語很重要。漢語將來很可能成為一種商務語言，因為中國正在崛起。我們的孩子將在這個新的全球環(huán)境中成長，他們就必須學習漢語?！敝x勝文在接受專訪中說，“我們現(xiàn)在的重點是加強（兩國）經(jīng)貿(mào)往來，加強人文交往。作為南非駐華大使，我非常有信心，我們的關系將會更加牢固?！?/p>

圖/除署名外由市政府外辦提供