Government officials and business leaders meet up at the ceremony in Santiago, capital of Chile, on May 19. [Photo/zgnt.net]

A ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of Nantong locals starting up their businesses in South America was held in Santiago, the capital of Chile, on May 19.

More than 1,000 representatives from the Jiangsu and Nantong chambers of commerce, local media, companies and government departments, as well as top dignitaries including Xu Bu, China’s ambassador to Chile and Felipe Alessandri, mayor of Santiago, attended the event.

The connection between Chile and Nantong dates back to the 1990s, when Nantong companies set up offices in the country to sell hardware and electromechanical products.

Chile has proved to be the most attractive country for Nantong’s merchants in Latin America, with nearly 1,000 Nantong locals currently working there.

Chile is also the second biggest trading partner with Nantong city in Latin America in terms of   annual trade volumes, having seen progressive increases year after year.

During the ceremony, Xu Bu expressed his satisfaction at the contribution by Nantong’s  entrepreneurs to Chile’s development and the strong relationship between the two countries..

Mayor Alessandri also praised them for their hard work and expressed his hope that the celebration would help strengthen the friendship between the two sides and promote cooperation.