The City Council of Castellón hosted the official reception for an institutional delegation from the Chinese city of Yiwu today. The event, presided over by Mayor Begoña Carrasco, was attended by the Deputy Mayor of Yiwu, Zhu Youquing, the President of the Qingtian Association of the Valencian Community, Sun Xiaoyong, and representatives from the Chinese community and local and Chinese business sectors. The Councilor for Social Coexistence and Interculturality, Vicent Sales, introduced the meeting.
Mayor Carrasco emphasized the municipal government's commitment to attracting foreign capital and strengthening international alliances. "Today Castellón welcomes this delegation from Yiwu with open arms to begin a new path towards alliances and opportunities for both cities," she stated. She highlighted Castellón's commercial vocation, thanks to its strategic location and key sectors such as ceramics and citrus cultivation.
Carrasco presented the business potential of LogistiCS to the representatives of Yiwu, an industrial and logistics platform spanning 1.7 million square meters, the largest in the Mediterranean Arc, connected to the port and with a projected intermodal station. "We want to offer Yiwu the opportunity for companies from their city to take advantage of this great platform, open to the world and competitive," she stressed, noting that the project aims to multiply industrial activity, attract foreign capital, and generate skilled employment.
The delegation visited the LogistiCS sites. The Mayor reiterated the welcome to "all investments and companies that come to add value," whether through the arrival of Chinese companies in Castellón or by opening commercial avenues for local companies to expand through Yiwu, reviving the spirit of the Silk Road.
Beyond economic exchange, cultural and social ties were also valued. Carrasco highlighted the work of the Department of Social Coexistence and Interculturality, led by Vicent Sales, and recalled that over 600 residents of Chinese origin live in Castellón. "We want to build bridges for the future and progress between our rich, distinct cultures and traditions," she noted.
The Mayor expressed her conviction that the meeting marks the beginning of a prosperous era, despite the more than 12,000 kilometers separating the cities. "Today our cities are a little closer thanks to the common goal of working together for a prosperous future," she concluded.
During the event, Councilor Vicent Sales, Sun Xiaoyong, and the delegate of Chinese businessmen in Castellón, Rui Feng Jin Hu, also spoke, emphasizing the mutual benefit of strengthening business relations. The organization of the first meeting between companies from China and Castellón, scheduled for next November and promoted by the City Council, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Port Authority of Castellón, was announced.
The Deputy Mayor of Yiwu, Zhu Youquing, presented the Chinese city as an "important window from China to the world and from the world to China," a connection point between the land and maritime Silk Road. He detailed that Yiwu has 8 million square meters of high-quality industrial land, 80,000 commercial spaces serving 2.1 million companies, generating employment for 32 million people and maintaining trade relations with 233 countries.
Zhu Youquing expressed the hope that both cities will leverage their strengths, such as the Port of Castellón and the China-Europe train, to develop trade flows. He extended an invitation to the Mayor and Councilor Vicent Sales to visit Yiwu and promote the participation of Castellón companies in international fairs, as well as to establish regular visits and exchanges.
The Chinese delegation's agenda included visits to the Chamber of Commerce of Castellón, the inauguration of the Spain-China Cultural Center, and a visit to the facilities of PortCastelló, where they were received by the Head of the Commercial Department, Adolfo Noguero. This marks the second visit to PortCastelló in just over a month.
