Ambassador of Mexico to China Jesús Seade Visited Renmin University of China

On 21 May, Jesús Seade, Ambassador of Mexico to China visited Renmin University of China . Zhi Xiaoqiang, Vice President of Renmin University of China met with the Ambassador. Zhang Damiao, Deputy Director of the the International Office, and Xie Lunyu, Professor of the School of Applied Economics attended the meeting.

After the meeting, Ambassador Seade delivered a lecture entitled ‘Mexico-China Cooperation: Towards the Next 500 Years’ at the Ambassador Forum——RDCY Forum for Area Studies No.9, attracting more than a hundred participants, including teachers and students of RUC, representatives of related enterprises and the media, and so on. The event was hosted by Dean of Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China (RDCY) ; Dean of School of Global Leadership, Renmin University of China.

On the Forum, Ambassador Seade pointed out that Mexico and China are both ancient civilization, and their civilization are in close proximity to each other. From the remains of early human activities 21,000 years ago in Mexico, to the rise and fall of Olmec, Maya, Aztec and other civilization, the land of Mexico has bred a unique civilization genes. Back to 1565, the ‘Manila Galleon’, a route across the Pacific Ocean was opened, and became the first bridge connecting the continents of Asia and Americas: Mexican chili peppers, maize was introduced to China, and Chinese silk, corn, and other products were imported from China to Mexico through this route. At that time, Mexican chilli corn and silver, Chinese silk and porcelain were the pillars of global trade.

Ambassador Seade stressed that China-Mexico relations have always adhered to the core principles of respect for sovereignty, equality and mutual benefit. After the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1972, China-Mexico bilateral relations have been steadily improving. In 2013, the two countries upgraded their bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership, with political mutual trust, economic and trade cooperation and culture exchanges going hand in hand. At present, China has become Mexico's second largest trading partner. The seven Confucius Institutes in Mexico, and the continuously growing number of Mexican students in China all highlight the historical thickness and practical warmth of the relationship between the two countries.

In international affairs, the positions of China and Mexico are highly compatible. Mexico's foreign policy is based on non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries and equality of countries, which resonates with the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence advocated by China. The two countries have worked closely in the UN, G20, APEC and other platforms to jointly address global challenges such as climate change, poverty reduction and development. In particular, the ambassador mentioned that Mexico's founding father, Benito Juárez, who advocated the concept of ‘respect for the rights of others is peace’, which is in line with the spirit of today's multilateralism and provides an ideological link for North-South cooperation.

Facing Chinese students, the ambassador called on the young generation to take open-mindedness, global vision and eternal curiosity, and seek win-win situation in multicultural integration. He warmly invited Chinese young people to go to Mexico for exchanges: ‘Mexico has the top universities in Latin America, 35 world heritage sites and 193 archaeological sites, which is not only the hometown of Mayan civilization, but also a hot spot of innovation and inclusion.’

In the expert communication seminar, Xie Lunyu discussed how China and Mexico can deepen electric vehicles to promote sustainable development with an open mind, and promote global governance based on historical friendship. Wang Yiwei, Deputy Director of the Institute of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, Professor of School of International Studies, Renmin University of China, said that China and Mexico both have ancient civilization and long histories. Historically, the two sides have established connections through the Maritime Silk Road using ships as a medium, and now China expects to build a better relationship not only with Mexico, but also with Latin America as a whole. China is willing to work with Mexico to actively advocate free trade, and believes that through initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative, China and Mexico will achieve further cooperation and development in trade and other areas.

In the Q&A session that followed, Ambassador Seade actively interacted with the audience on the cooperation between China and Mexico in the fields of science and technology, green energy, cultural exchanges in football, as well as the impact of the U.S.-China trade war, and other issues.