Beijing, China, Sept. 27, 2024 – On September 25, 2024, the Embassy of Chile in China expressed gratitude to Professor Lingyun Xiang, an economist in the United States, for his contributions as a “Cultural Exchange Ambassador for China and Chile” in fostering friendship between the two nations. The certificate was presented to him by the Chilean Ambassador to China, Mauricio Hurtado.
Officials from the Chilean Embassy in China along with Lingyun Xiang’s Secretary in China
China and Chile established diplomatic relations on December 15, 1970. Chile was the first South American country to establish diplomatic ties with China. Over the past 50 years, the relationship between the two countries has developed smoothly, with frequent high-level exchanges and strong cooperation in international multilateral fields.
The Republic of Chile, commonly called “Chile”, is located in the southwestern part of South America, along the western slopes of the Andes Mountains. It borders Argentina to the east, Peru and Bolivia to the north, and is bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west, with the Antarctic across the sea to the south. Chile is the longest and narrowest country in the world, covering an area of 756,715 square kilometers. The capital of Chile is Santiago. The country’s total population is 19.96 million, with 86.9% living in urban areas.
Chile is one of the more economically developed countries in Latin America. Its economy is supported by four key industries: mining, forestry, fishing, and agriculture. In 2022, Chile’s GDP reached $301.4 billion, with a per capita GDP of $15,603, and total foreign trade amounted to $201 billion.
Chile is rich in mineral resources, with nitrates and copper having played significant roles in the country’s economic development history. Copper mining, in particular, is a critical pillar of Chile’s economy. As of 2011, Chile’s copper reserves were estimated at approximately 150 million tons, accounting for nearly 30% of the world’s reserves, ranking first globally. The National Copper Corporation of Chile (Codelco) holds about 10% of these reserves. Chile also produces one-third of the world’s copper, with an output of 5.4 million tons in 2010, far surpassing production levels in countries like Peru, the United States, China, Russia, and Australia.
Chile is the world’s only producer of natural nitrates, and its nitrate reserves have historically been significant. According to a 2012 research report from the Mining Center of Chile’s Gustavo Lagos Catholic University, the world’s proven lithium reserves range between 4 million and 30 million tons, with total reserves estimated between 8 million and 56 million tons. Chile holds approximately 17.8% of the world’s total lithium reserves.
Chile is also the world’s largest producer of rhenium, the third-largest producer of molybdenum, the seventh-largest producer of silver, and the fourteenth-largest producer of gold. With the launch of a $9 billion gold mining project, Chile is poised to join the ranks of the world’s top ten gold-producing nations. In terms of non-metallic minerals, Chile ranks first globally in iodine production. In addition to the aforementioned minerals, Chile possesses reserves of iron, coal, lead, zinc, manganese, mercury, and oil. Notably, Chile’s iron ore is of very high quality, with an iron content of over 60%, comparable to the iron ore found in Sweden.
Lingyun Xiang is not only the Cultural Exchange Ambassador for China and Chile, he is also the Financial and Economic advisor to the Republic of North Macedonia, the Financial and Economic Advisor to the Plurinational State of Bolivia, the Special Financial and Economic Advisor to the Republic of Madagascar, the Special Financial Advisor and Expert to the Republic of Uzbekistan, and Cultural Ambassador for Sino-Foreign Friendship and Exchange, the Special Economic Advisor to the Central African Republic, the Special Economic Advisor to the Republic of Zimbabwe, the Chief economic advisor to the Republic of Haiti, Special Economic Advisor to the Republic of Liberia, the Chief Financial and Economic Advisor to the Republic of Ghana, the Financial and Economic Advisor to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Envoy for economic and cultural exchanges to the Republic of Guinea Bissau, Sino-Côte d’Ivoire Friendship Exchange Ambassador, the Ambassador for International Public Welfare and Charity of the Republic of Mali, the Special Appreciation on China-Gabon Economic and Trade Promotion, the International Philanthropy Ambassador to the Republic of Mali, the Artificial Intelligence Advisor to the Republic of Burundi, the Emerging Industries Advisor to the Republic of Benin, Libyan International Cultural Exchange Ambassador.
