英国威尔士议会政府经济部长首访重庆希望与重庆在汽车、航空、文创等领域合作

□文、图/本刊记者 熊怡

英国威尔士议会政府经济部长首访重庆希望与重庆在汽车、航空、文创等领域合作

□文、图/本刊记者 熊怡

“重庆近年来发展迅猛，在汽车、旅游、信息产业等领域取得了重大进展，这些也是威尔士的重点发展产业。”2月20日，英国威尔士议会政府经济和基础设施内阁部长肯·斯盖茨（Ken Skates）首次到访重庆，并出席第十一届重庆威尔士周相关活动。肯·斯盖茨在接受媒体访问时表示，重庆和威尔士建立友好关系已经11年，希望进一步增进威尔士与重庆在经贸领域的深度合作，深化彼此的信任和理解，助推双方工商界的合作与交流，推动双方经贸信息更加积极有效的互通。

肯·斯盖茨介绍，威尔士是英国一个拥有独立议会和政府、高度自治的重要地区，是重庆市在英国的重要地方友好合作伙伴，交往关系密切。近十年来，重庆与威尔士地区在教育、卫生、科技、低碳、文化艺术等领域进行了深入友好交流与合作，并已成功举办了十届重庆威尔士周活动。

“威尔士和中国的友谊持续升温，我们驻重庆、北京、上海的办公室也与当地政府建立了紧密的友好合作关系，我们还希望借助中国中央政府和中国驻伦敦大使馆将这一关系推上一个更高的台阶。”肯·斯盖茨表示，近年来，威尔士和中国的贸易合作日益紧密。中国投资者也越来越关注威尔士的投资环境。继英国脱欧以后，威尔士更加重视和中国友好关系。目前，有超过4500名中国留学生在威尔士学习，威尔士已落成3所孔子学院，分别在卡迪夫、班戈、兰彼得。“威尔士具有开放的商务环境。在汽车、旅游、信息产业等领域有着良好的发展态势。此外，威尔士的创意产业仅次于伦敦位居英国第二。”肯·斯盖茨说。

“我认为，两个城市或地区之间应遵从‘先交朋友，再做生意’的原则。”肯·斯盖茨认为，重庆作为中国西部地区唯一的中央直辖市，近年来经济发展令人瞩目，重庆和威尔士建立友好关系11年来，也让两地在文化、社会和经济等领域合作交流密切。他特别提出，希望威尔士在汽车制造、航空航天、数码电子、文化创意等领域与重庆开展合作项目。

肯·斯盖茨此行与重庆市政府有关领导、重庆市商务委员会、重庆市文化委员会，以及重庆市体育局等部门领导举行一系列重要会议，还会见了有前往英国、特别是威尔士投资意向的中国工商界精英。

英国威尔士经济和基础设施内阁部长肯·斯盖茨。

2月20日上午，肯·斯盖茨部长一行与重庆市体育局举行讨论会，确定即将开展重庆与威尔士青少年足球培训项目。“威尔士有得到国际足联认可的标准训练方式，可提供给重庆球员学习借鉴。”据他透露，该项目旨在为重庆地区职业和业余青年足球运动员提供威尔士丰富的足球资源，并通过两地的足球运动员互访，进行学习交流和培训。

“这是我第一次来到重庆，我感受到了重庆人民的热情和友好，诚挚地欢迎重庆人民去威尔士参观旅游。”肯·斯盖茨说，威尔士的城堡数量居欧洲各国之最，《孤独星球》杂志将北威尔士评选为2017年全球最值得去的地方之一。卡迪夫作为世界级的旅游景点和体育赛事举办地，将承办2017欧洲冠军杯联赛。

“With the rapid development of Chongqing in recent years,tremendous progresses are made in the automobile,tourism,information industry and other f elds which also represent the key industries of Wales.”On February 20,Ken Skates,Cabinet Minister of Economy and Infrastructure of Welsh Parliamentary Government,had his frst visit to Chongqing and attended the activities related to the Eleventh Welsh Week in Chongqing.Mr.Skates said in an interview that as Chongqing has been in a friendly relation with Wales for 11 years,he hoped that further ef forts could be made to promote the deep cooperation between Chongqing and Wales in the economy and trade; the mutual trust and understanding be strengthened; the cooperation and exchange in business be boosted; the more effective connectivity of information in economy and trade be advanced.

Ken Skates introduced that Wales,one of the four major parts of Britain,which enjoys a high degree of autonomy with the independent parliament and government,is an important cooperation partner to Chongqing in Britain and has a closed relation with Chongqing.Over the past decade,Chongqing has had an in-depth and friendly cooperation and communication with Wales in the education,health,science and technology,low-carbon environmental protection,culture and art,and other fields; the Chongqing-Wales Week has been held successively and annually for ten times.

Mr.Skates said,“since the friendship between Wales and China continues to grow up,and our of fices in Chongqing,Beijing and Shanghai have built tight and friendly cooperation relation with the local governments,we hope that such cooperation relation can be promoted to a new level with the help of China’s Central Government and Chinese Embassy in London.”He also suggested that in recent years,trade cooperation between Wales and China has become increasingly close.At present,there are more than 4500 Chinese students learning in Wales,and three Confucius Institutes have been set up in the Welsh Cardiff,Bangor and Lampeter respectively.Ken Skates claimed,“Wales has an open business environment; the automotive,tourism,information industry and other fields have a sound momentum for development; besides,Welsh creative industry ranks second only to London.”

Ken Skates recommended,“Personally speaking,the relationship between two cities or regions should abide by the principle of‘making friends frst,and then doing business’.”He also believes that Chongqing,as the only municipality directly under the central government in western China,has enjoyed a rapid development in recent years; the eleven-year friendship between Chongqing and Wales helps to tighten the cooperation and exchange in culture,society,economy and other areas.In particular,he hopes that cooperation between Wales and Chongqing could be carried out in f elds like automotive manufacturing,aerospace,digital electronics,cultural creation and etc.

Ken Skates attended a series of important meetings with the relevant leaders of Chongqing Municipal Government and leaders of Chongqing Business Commission,Culture Commission,Sports Bureau and other departments.He also met with the Chinese business elites who had a willingness to invest in Britain,especially in Wales.

On the morning of February 20,Mr.Skates held a seminar with Chongqing Municipal Sports Bureau and then made a decision that the Chongqing and Welsh youth soccer training program was going to be conducted.“Wales has a standard training method recognized by the FIF A which can be available for Chongqing players to learn from.”He said that this project has a purpose of providing rich soccer resources for professional and amateur youth soccer players in Chongqing and conducting learning exchanges and relevant training through the mutual visits of both-side football players.

Ken Skates told,“It’s my first trip to Chongqing.I have felt the enthusiasm and friendliness of Chongqing people and sincerely welcome you Chongqing people to make a trip to Wales.”Mr.Skates introduced that Wales has the biggest number of castles in Europe and is appraised as one of the best places for traveling in 2017 by the magazine Lonely Planet.

The First Visit of the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure of Welsh Government,UK,to Chongqing Hope will be cherished to cooperate with Chongqing in the automobile,aviation,cultural creation and other fi elds

□Article/Journalist Xiong Yi