Mr. Angel Navarro, president of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Guangzhou (lifeofguangzhou.com photo/Tom Guan)

The National Day of Spain

On the 12th of October, the Spanish celebrate their national day and commemorate the discovery of America by Columbus in 1492, according to the information I was given by Mr. Angel Navarro, president of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Guangzhou, at a small celebratory get-together. This is the 4th year that the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Guangzhou has celebrated these events.

Mr. Navarro has been in China for 7 years. After spending a few years in Beijing and Guangdong's Foshan city, he settled down in Guangzhou in 2006. "When I was in Foshan, I came to Guangzhou almost every day to work," he said. That's why he is familiar with Guangzhou although he has been here for just one year.

Mr. Navarro said that, "Every year in Spain, the government and authorities hold large celebrations on October 12th. People around the country come onto the streets for various activities. The day is also celebrated in Argentina, Chile and other Spanish speaking countries."

A small celebratory get-together was held by the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Guangzhou on Oct. 12th, 2007, to celebrate the Spanish National Day. (lifeofguangzhou.com photo/Tom Guan)

The business cooperation

The Guangzhou Spanish Chamber of Commerce is the 3rd office in China, the others being in Beijing and Shanghai. "We joined China International Small and Medium Enterprise Fair, held by the Guangdong government in Guangzhou's Pazhou complex just two weeks ago," he said. Since opening in Guangzhou, the Spanish Chamber of Commerce has contributed a lot in terms of promoting business, and fostering economic relationships between Spanish and Chinese companies both in China and in Spain.

As for economic cooperation between the two countries, the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair), which begins today, will not be neglected. Mr. Navarro emphasized that it is a good chance for Spanish businesses to know more about Guangzhou and China. "Even though you cannot do much business at the fair, it is a good window for foreign companies to come to China and see what Chinese companies and manufactories are capable of, and look at the technology used and the quality of their products."

Mr. Navarro said that, "statistics from Guangdong government showed that, last year, over 6,000 buyers came from Spain for the fair, and more are expected this year." However, there are still problems that are hard to tackle. "We do have successful examples of Spanish companies establishing factories in Guangdong. But many Spanish business ventures here are fleeting and few of them invest directly in Guangdong. We are looking for a more stable relationship here. We need support for the cooperation from the Guangdong local authorities."

The advice for business

Language barriers and different cultural backgrounds have made many Spanish business men shrink from doing business in Guangdong. With respect to this, Mr. Navarro had these words, "Don't be afraid. Come to Guangdong with the right support and the right advice. We will give you support, that's our main aim."

The image of Guangzhou

Mr. Navarro indicated that, in Spain, Guangzhou is not as popular as Beijing and Shanghai, the two largest international cities in China. But he believed that, after the Spanish Consulate opens soon in Guangzhou, more and more people and companies from Spain will get to know Guangzhou and China.

The Chinese language

During our interview, the Spaniard stated in Chinese that he had studied at the Beijing Foreign Studies University for Mandarin while he was in the capital. His Mandarin is making progress now. But the modest man said he is not so optimistic about his Cantonese.

The year 2007 is the Year of Spain in China, strengthening relationships and enhancing the friendship between the two countries. Apart from cooperation in the field of economic fields, culture and other areas will also be developed.

(Reported by Carrot Chan, Alan Devey, photographed by Tom Guan)