Chinese friends have brought us a sweet path to wealth. "(China and Latin America are natural partners)

China and Latin America belong to the global South, with many similar positions and complementary features, making them natural partners for cooperation. "Win win cooperation" is the key word of China Latin America relations.

Starting today, this newspaper will open a column titled "China and Latin America are Natural Partners", focusing on infrastructure construction cooperation to accelerate China Latin America connectivity, upgrading economic and trade cooperation to help improve people's livelihoods in Latin America, agricultural cooperation to enhance local economic "blood making" capabilities, and cultural exchanges to bring the hearts of Chinese and Latin American people closer and closer. Please follow in the footsteps of our reporter to enter Latin American countries, get closer to the Latin American people, experience the pulse of China Latin America cooperation on site, and listen to the voices of the Chinese and Latin American people's mutual pursuit and shared destiny.

In the Maule region of Chile, sunlight shines on neatly arranged grape stands and scattered fruit trees, creating a fresh scent of grass mixed with soil. The car departs from the Tarca Chil é n section of Chile's Highway 5, passes through a quiet country road, and arrives in less than 20 minutes at the Rodriguez family orchard in the Central Valley - a typical local family farm.

Welcome! "Pablo Rodriguez, the general manager of the farm wearing jeans and a straw hat, warmly welcomed him. He embodies both the simplicity of a fruit farmer and the confidence of an entrepreneur.

Our farm used to grow corn and tomatoes. We began a transformation in 2012, planting cherries, grapes, and watermelons with higher economic added value. In 2014, we exported cherries to China for the first time. Now, all the cherries harvested by the farm are exported to China, and a considerable portion of the wine produced is also sold to China. "Rodriguez told reporters that during the harvest season, the farm can accommodate up to about 500 seasonal workers, with machines roaring, people buzzing, and fruit aromas overflowing," just like a festival. When speaking, Rodriguez's face was filled with a proud smile.

We ensure that the cherries are harvested from the branches and enter the cold storage within 3 hours, so that they can maintain the best quality when transported to China. Rodriguez said that cherries need to arrive at the port on time for loading at the "last minute" before the ship sets sail. A fast and efficient logistics system is the key to ensuring all of this.

Since Chinese companies took over Chile's Highway 5 and upgraded it, our cherries can be transported to the Chinese market faster and more safely. Everyone says that our Chinese friends have brought us a sweet road to wealth. "Rodriguez referred to Chile's Highway 5 as a major transportation artery connecting the north and south of Chile, with the Tachi section being about 195 kilometers long and passing through Chile's main cherry producing area, the Maule region. Therefore, it is also known locally as the" Cherry Highway "and is one of the busiest sections of the Pan American Highway in Chile.

Highway 5 is operated by China Railway Construction International Group (hereinafter referred to as "CRCC") using an "integrated investment, construction, and operation" model. Since taking over the franchise project of this section of road in 2021, China Railway Construction has comprehensively implemented road upgrading, expansion, and intelligent management: the Taqi section covers a 30 kilometer expansion project, 54 kilometer ring road design and construction, and the construction of 13 electronic toll collection systems; In 2022, we will be the first to adopt radio frequency identification technology to achieve automatic fee deduction. The Chilian Koipuyi section, which will be put into operation in 2023, serves as the southern extension of the Tachi section, including the renovation of 166 kilometers of existing lines and the construction of 6.6 kilometers of new branch lines, with a total length of 172.6 kilometers. After the completion of the project, it will alleviate the traffic pressure in the core cities of the southern urban agglomeration in Chile, promote interconnectivity between the northern and southern regions of Chile, and drive the development of related industries along the route.

Ivan Marambio, President of the Chilean Fruit Exporters Association, told our reporter that the Tachi section of Highway 5 connects fruit farmers, logistics providers, ports, and international markets, and is an important channel for Chilean agricultural products to enter Asian markets such as China. The renovation and upgrading of this section significantly improved transportation efficiency, significantly shortened the arrival time of fresh fruits at the port, helped Chilean fruit farmers obtain higher export profits, and promoted employment and industrial cluster development along the route.

Juan Alvarez is a truck driver who travels between the cities of Tarca and Coipuy in Chile for a long time. He told our reporter, "Since Chinese companies introduced the 'seamless passage' model, traffic congestion has significantly eased and transportation time has been greatly reduced. Now, transporting goods between the two places can be completed in just over two hours, and I can travel back and forth twice a day. My income has also increased significantly compared to before." The reporter learned in the interview that with the continuous improvement of transportation conditions along the project route, the lives of local people have undergone gratifying changes: more and more local people are engaged in related industries such as express delivery, supply and marketing, and e-commerce, and their income has greatly increased.

As the sun sets, trucks loaded with local specialty agricultural products are heading towards the port via Highway 5. This "sweet road" woven jointly by China and Chile is sending the gifts of the Andes Mountains to the other side of the earth, and bringing the hearts of people in two distant countries closer together.

(This newspaper reports from San Diego)

People's Daily (May 12, 2025, Issue 03)