Remarks of Amb.Luis Quesada at CCG’s Pacific Alliance Event
December 13 , 2021
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the creation of the Pacific Alliance. On Dec 13, CCG hosted public lecture series featuring the Pacific Alliance ambassadors – H.E. Luis Diego Monsalve, Ambassador of Colombia to China, H.E. Jesus Seade, Ambassador of Mexico to China, H.E. Luis Quesada, Ambassador of Peru to China and H.E. Luis Schmidt, Ambassador of Chile to China, on the future development of PA and prospects of China-PA cooperation.
The Pacific Alliance (PA) is a regional trade bloc launched in 2011 that includes Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru as well as 59 observer states. With a combined population of 230 million, a per capita GDP of USD19,000, the Alliance is now the 8th largest exporter in the world. China is a key trading partner of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) as China-LAC trade grew 26-fold over the last two decades and expected to more than double by 2035.
A special address was made by H.E. Luis Quesada, Ambassador of Peru to China.
Full text of his remarks is as below:
Main achievements of the Pacific Alliance during the last ten years
Since 2011, Pacific Alliance has remained current despite presidential changes in all four countries in a region where power transitions often lead to drastic changes in economic and foreign policy. Considering the many attempts to build regional blocks in Latin-American (which was mentioned by the Ambassador of Mexico), the presence and validity of the Pacific Alliance in these 10 years are one of our main achievements thanks to our commitment to the principles of free trade, which were reaffirmed in Lima Summit in June 2019.
Due to our pragmatic goals, in this short period of existence, the Pacific Alliance has succeeded in different sectors.
In terms of trade and promotion:
● 92% of the products that are exchanged among the four countries are duty-free thanks to the “Additional Protocol to Framework Agreement of the Pacific Alliance”, which entered into force in May 2016. And we created a timetable for the elimination of the other 8% while loosening the bloc’s cumulative rules of origin, which helps to stimulate trade.
● The integration of the Mexican stock exchange into our integrated stock markets.
● Windows Systems for foreign trade that have allowed exporters and importers to save costs and time, since they can process their certificates of origin and phytosanitary electronically.
● Developed more than 180 activities promotion in exports, investment and tourism counting on more than 3,500 shares of exporting / receptive companies of the four countries in icon events and generating business expectations above US $ 1 billion.
Considering the important participation of Small and Mediums companies in the markets of the members of the Pacific Alliance, our block has established a business incubators network as a mechanism to support entrepreneurs, promoting their development in the early stages for their strengthening within the market. The Entrepreneur Capital Fund is a clear example of that, which develops local leader’s companies and transforms them into digitals platforms.
Regarding the migratory movement, the Pacific Alliance has reached:
● The elimination of tourist visas and short-term business between four countries.
● Vacation and work agreements, consular cooperation, and facilitation of migratory transit.
● More than 3000 beneficiaries thanks to the creation of the Platform for Student and Academic Mobility and its scholarship program, as well as the youth volunteer project.
The Pacific Alliance has been aware of the trends of the technology and its use to improve the competitiveness of the block. In this sense, the four countries have created:
● The Pacific Alliance Innovation Ecosystem which facilitates the interaction with each country’s own system in order to increase the individual and joint results of the countries in regard to business innovation and innovative entrepreneurship.
● The Digital Agenda Group which aims to promote scenarios of coordination and convergence among the four countries in order to improve the conditions and development of business in the digital economy.
The Pacific Alliance is also concern about climate change. There won’t be any future if the world keeps in line economy consumption and doesn’t turn into a circular economy. That is the main reason why our block has signed an Agreement for Sustainable Management of Plastics, focusing on developing and implementing new policies to promote the comprehensive management of plastics and reduce the presence of these residues in ecosystems.
