On the morning of June 5, the opening ceremony of the national foreign aid training program "Venezuela Foreign Investment and Foreign Trade Policy Workshop," hosted by the Ministry of Commerce and undertaken by WTO Chair at UIBE, was held. Huang Baoyin, Secretary of the Party Committee of the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE), Beijing, attended the ceremony and delivered a speech.

Huang Baoyin extended a warm welcome to the participants. He pointed out that although China and Venezuela are thousands of miles apart, the distance has never prevented the two countries from becoming trusted good friends and partners for common development. He reviewed the development history of mutual support between China and Venezuela, as well as the significant achievements made in recent years in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), trade and investment, and the deepening of the all-weather partnership. Finally, he sincerely wished everyone a fruitful learning experience in China and contributions to promoting economic and trade cooperation as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

Mr. GUILLERMO GABRIEL LARA TORO, President of Banco Exterior de Venezuela, delivered a speech on behalf of all participants. He expressed sincere gratitude to the Chinese government and WTO Chair at UIBE for the meticulous preparations. He mentioned that under the guidance of the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, and Global Civilization Initiative, China and Venezuela have carried out a series of practical cooperations and jointly promoted the development of a community with a shared future for mankind. He hoped that taking this workshop as an opportunity, the two sides will strengthen the exchange of knowledge and experience, create new investment opportunities for the people of both countries, and promote the all-round development of trade between the two countries.

At the end of the opening ceremony, the Art Education and Training Department of the school specially presented a wonderful performance of the classic Chinese traditional folk music Evening Song of the Fishing Boat. The melodious tunes of the guzheng and erhu were picturesque, showcasing the unique artistic charm of traditional Chinese music to the international friends from afar. 

This 14-day workshop has attracted 22 director-level government officials and senior corporate executives from Venezuela's Ministry of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Transport, and Banco Exterior de Venezuela. Participants will conduct in-depth exchanges on topics such as economy and trade, agriculture, poverty alleviation, and digital economy, and jointly explore new opportunities for cooperation between China and Venezuela.