“开启2023年的喜讯，中国和厄瓜多尔之间的(自贸协定)谈判已经圆满结束。”今年1月3日厄瓜多尔总统吉列尔莫·拉索在他的推特账号上写道。为促进两国文化交流与人员往来，推动厄商品对华出口，2月8日下午，由厄瓜多尔共和国驻广州总领事馆商务处和厄瓜多尔出口与投资促进局共同主办的“厄瓜多尔美食节”在广州举行，厄瓜多尔共和国驻广州总领事馆总领事马埃文（Edwin Martínez Bedón）、商务参赞彭保罗（Paúl Peñaherrera）以及各行企业代表出席了本次活动。

厄瓜多尔美食节现场

活动伊始，马埃文总领事对到访的各位来宾表达了诚挚的欢迎并发表了开幕致辞，他在致辞中介绍道，厄瓜多尔受安第斯山脉的影响形成了多种气候类型，这种独特的地理位置让厄瓜多尔成为了一个农产品丰富多样的国家。除此之外，厄瓜多尔还拥有2237公里的海岸线，渔业资源丰富，盛产海鲜。他表示，厄瓜多尔的美食一直以来都被消费者所青睐，未来也将逐步向全世界推广。

马埃文总领事致开幕辞

随后彭保罗参赞再次对各位嘉宾的到来表示了感谢并向各位祝酒，活动在祝酒仪式中正式拉开了序幕。

彭保罗参赞为来宾介绍菜品

白里透红的柠汁腌虾、色香俱全的鳄梨土豆汤、香甜可口的香煎鲳鱼以及酥脆醇厚的巧克力蛋糕一一登场，让食客们大饱口福。彭保罗参赞对这些来自厄瓜多尔的美食做了详细介绍，包括食材的来源，以及制作工序等。嘉宾们伴着悠扬的音乐，再品上一口浓郁的咖啡，不啻为一种享受。透过这一道道美食，大家深切感受到了厄瓜多尔的文化底蕴和人文风情。

来自厄瓜多尔的咖啡

活动期间，部分进口商也分享了他们与厄瓜多尔之间的故事。据进口商们介绍，他们进口的商品以农渔产品为主，从海里的白对虾，到陆上的咖啡，再到上乘的玫瑰，品类丰富多样。

来自厄瓜多尔的特色美食

活动结束后，《瞭望新时代》杂志社（下简称“瞭新社”）国际新闻记者Keneuoe Ntene独家专访了彭保罗参赞。他向瞭新社记者表示，举办这次美食节活动主要目的是促进两国间的文化交流，让更多人了解来自厄瓜多尔的产品，推动更多产品出口中国，同时也希望能为厄瓜多尔带来更多的投资。据了解，2019年中国成为厄瓜多尔的第二大贸易伙伴，2022年中国成为厄第一大非石油产品出口目的地。厄对华前两大出口产品为对虾和铜精矿。厄瓜多尔也是中国在拉美地区重要的投资和承包工程合作伙伴，双方合作涉及电力、能矿、交通等众多领域。

来宾们正在享受餐点

当谈到中厄自由贸易协定时，彭保罗参赞表示，目前自由贸易协定的谈判已经圆满结束，所有协议的签署将在今年内完成。中厄自由贸易协定的达成将为厄对华出口产品带来税收利好，几乎所有对华出口产品都将从中受益，这有助于更多厄瓜多尔的产品出口中国。除此之外，自贸协定还有助于引入一些新产品进入中国市场，像是厄瓜多尔特有的黄皮火龙果、冷冻海鲜、冷冻肉类以及一些乳制品。以往这些产品主要出口到香港和东南亚市场，但未来有望出现在中国大陆消费者的餐桌上。彭保罗参赞对未来两国之间的贸易充满期待，他说：“依托中厄自由贸易协定，未来厄对华出口将逐步扩大，这对厄中小企业和农民来说无疑是一大福音。借助中国这个庞大的市场，他们将不断成长，变得更加国际化。”

据了解近年来，中厄两国经贸合作成果显著，双边贸易增势明显。2021年9月中厄双方启动自贸协定联合可行性研究，并于去年1月完成，一个月之后中国商务部部长王文涛与厄瓜多尔生产、外贸、投资和渔业部部长胡里奥·普拉多于近日签署《中华人民共和国商务部与厄瓜多尔共和国生产、外贸、投资和渔业部关于启动中国—厄瓜多尔自由贸易协定谈判的谅解备忘录》，正式启动中厄自由贸易协定谈判。两国间签定自由贸易协定，可以充分发挥中国和厄瓜多尔经济互补优势，进一步挖掘双边贸易潜力，也有助于中国的纺织、通信、汽车等产品开拓厄市场，并增强对厄投资，推动双方经贸合作水平迈入新阶段。

彭保罗参赞接受瞭新社国际新闻部记者Keneuoe Ntene采访

在采访的最后，彭保罗参赞表示，目前厄中两国关系处于历史上发展最好的阶段。他说：“现在越来越多的中国人了解到厄瓜多尔这个国家，厄瓜多尔驻广州总领事馆也将不遗余力地去推广我们的文化以及产品，非常感谢大家对我们的支持，他们给了厄瓜多尔创造了更大的发展空间。”

采访结束后，彭保罗参赞欣然为瞭新社题词，他在题词中对瞭新社讲好中厄故事表达了感谢，并祝愿中厄两国友谊能像厄瓜多尔的永生玫瑰一样永不凋谢，历久弥香。

彭保罗参赞为瞭新社题词

A TASTE OF UNITY”

Ecuador Food Festival, Guangzhou CHINA, featuring food show and promising liaisons for China-Ecuador Trade

Ecuador is home to enchanting islands filled with vibrant fauna and flora, so vibrant this theme extends amongst all areas of life including the mouth watering cuisine. Hearts bursting with excitement, we as the representatives of Outlook New Era enjoyed the liquid hospitality of the Ecuador culture hosted by the Ecuadorian Consulate General in Guangzhou China who bestowed it upon himself to share this with the world at the Pro Ecuador Food Festival on the 8th of February 2023. The rich ambience of this event enlightened the guests to the food culture, economy and future plans of Ecuador.

The year 2023 seems to have commenced with great endeavors as China and Ecuador build on a foundation that has been delicately groomed over time through endless efforts of building a rigid friendship. In this event, the opening speech was delivered by Mr Edwin Martínez Bedón, the Ecuadorian Consul General in Guangzhou China, who extended his greetings and appreciation to the audience and also introduced the event by giving us insight on the geographical specialty of Ecuador being a country of strong biodiversity hence its wealth in the agricultural industry. He continued to announce the popularity that Ecuador has gained abroad for its amazing cuisine and the variety thereof, as he concluded he handed over the crowd to Mr Paúl Peñaherrera, who is the Commercial Counsellor to lead the event ahead.

Mr Paúl Peñaherrera initiated the event with warm salutations, honoring the esteemed guests and in an exclusive interview with Outlook New Era. He talked about the development of the liaison between China and Ecuador and further detailed the plans they have to move forward. In previous articles it was hinted that there will be a free trade agreement between China and Ecuador. “Nowadays we have a very good political relation between both countries. We are very close to signing the free trade agreements. And this shows that the relations between China and Ecuador is in the best stage at the moment. So the Chinese citizens will start to learn more about our country and we will continue having this opportunity to introduce more about products,” said Paúl. He continued to elaborate on how this agreement is aimed at economically benefiting both nations respectively. Considering the exceptional efforts that China has undergone to offer resources, financial assistance and modernization of infrastructure in Ecuador, the prosperity of this agreement is inevitable.

Guests enjoying Ecuadorian delicacies

The most familiar businesses or products promoted by the Ecuadorian community in China are coffee, bananas, fish and other fresh products. However, Mr Paúl shared that they plan to introduce new or more products, such as chocolate and dairy products to the market and some of the products are the yellow petal dragon fruits which is already known in Hong Kong and other south Asian regions. Given the challenges that Mr Paúl mentioned of how at times the process of putting such plans in place can be slow or delayed due to unfamiliarity and curiosity of the Chinese people, this may cause glitches in some ideas or excessive delays in the business growing. These kinds of experiences that seem to have given birth to bigger, better and more thoughts through ideas that aim at getting the costs of the trade to be low. “We will have a reduction of the taxes until it will be zero taxes free to our brothers. And it will benefit almost all the products from Ecuador after entering to the Chinese market,” said Paúl. In this way, both countries are not just expanding but are also saving and growing the economy in general in the best ways as well.

Coherently, Mr Paúl mentioned a few local establishments situated in Guangzhou China that have prospered by trading products from the different parts of Ecuador. These businesses range from florists who infused the traditional red rose of Ecuador that can grow up to 1.8 meters high with some indigenous Chinese flowers. This combination was presented and showcased on the dining tables and some gifted to guests as a souvenir. The other businesses are coffee houses and a fish monger whose fish still arrives as fresh in China as it was in Ecuador. Speaking of fish, as the event progressed and we were delighted to tasting a few Ecuadorian delicacies that were statements of Ecuadorian culture. We were also graced with the opportunity to savour on refreshing flavors of the amazon coast and mingled with prestigious guests such as Mr Consul General- Edwin Martínez Bedón himself, Mr Hou Shengbao (侯胜宝) from Special Business Guidance for External Communication Center of Guangdong Radio and TV Station and other esteemed acquaintances who in the same manner of excitement were having a splendid time.

Equadorian cocktails

The dishes included a shrimp Ceviche which is a seafood dish that is commonly made in the coastal regions of Latin America. Ecuador’s frozen fish exports to China until October 2022, add to USD11.9 millions and 6,732 metric tons. The main exported varieties are butter-fish and ribbon-fish.

(瞭新社)