Sabino Vaca Narvaja, Argentine ambassador to China. [Photo courtesy of the Argentine Embassy in China]

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Argentina, Argentine President Alberto Fernández attended the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games in early February 2022 at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Xi especially met with Fernández. At this important historical time, the China News Release conducted an exclusive interview with H.E. Mr. Sabino Vaca Narvaja, the Argentine ambassador to China, for a review and outlook of the bilateral relations.

CHINA NEWS RELEASE: Could you please share any moving story you know of embodying the friendship between the leaders and people of our two nations in the past 50 years? 

SABINO VACA NARVAJA: The relationship with the People's Republic of China is for Argentina a state policy. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Argentina and China, although the relationship started earlier: there is a historical relationship between the Justicialist Party and the Chinese Communist Party as reflected in the letters between their leaders, Juan Domingo Perón and Mao Zedong where you can already see the friendship and depth of the relationship between the two.

Our Government and its leaders have had close relations with the Chinese Government for many years, building a solid relationship based on friendship and trust. In 2004, the government of Néstor Kirchner signed the Strategic Association between Argentina and China with then President Hu Jintao. An important factor in this event was the then Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers and now President of the Republic, Dr. Alberto Fernández. Then, in 2014, the character of the bilateral relationship was raised even more to the level of a Comprehensive Strategic Association, with Cristina Fernández de Kirchner — now vice president of the Republic — and Xi Jinping as presidents at that time.