Meeting of President-Comandante Daniel
with a Delegation of China's State Owned Company PowerChina
March 25th 2022
Remarks by Daniel
This afternoon or evening we inform the Nicaraguan people that we are meeting here with the Delegation of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China, headed by Mr. Yu Bo, Counselor of the Embassy; Mr. Tong Jiang, First Secretary; Mr. Shi Yulong, Second Secretary; Mr. Liu Enze, Attaché; Mr. Xu Weidong, Attaché, and Ms. Yao Xing, Attaché.
Likewise, the Delegation of the Chinese State Enterprise, PowerChina, that is, Chinese Power, Mr. Hou Xiaotun, President for the Americas of PowerChina; Mr. Li Hai, Vice President for the Americas; Mr. Liu Sheng, Country Manager for Central America; Mr. Liu Benjiang, Vice President of Bureau 11; Mr. Yu Libo, General Director of the Branch for the Americas, Bureau 11, and Mrs. Wang Zhen, Commercial Manager.
Then too we also have here the Delegation of Danish-Nicaraguan businessmen Mr. Morten Naygart and Scarleth Naygart. So as to have a clearer understanding, they promoted and participated in the explorations carried out by the Statoil company in the Pacific Sea, in the Pacific Ocean.
That company was working there for a long period of time, they were able to carry out explorations, they moved a platform to work on the explorations there, and the studies that they carried out in the search for oil, gas, etc. remained.
We are talking about a Project that is there and is latent there, and in conditions that offer the certainty as to its continuity and conclusion, because the Studies were made and the Studies are the best proof that the search for an Oil and Gas field in the explored area is on the right track.
Here we have the Members of the Energy Cabinet, the Minister of Finance, Ivan, who of course has to be following up on the Energy issue; Laureano promoting investment; Mr. Salvador Mansell who is directly involved in the work related to bringing Energy to the whole country, to all the Communities of our country; Mr. Ernesto Martinez who is in charge of the maintenance and thus the generation of hydroelectric Energy. These are the large Plants that we have and that have been rehabilitated and maintained so that they can contribute hydroelectric Energy to our country's generating system.
And with us also, the Company headed by Mr. Hou Xiaotun, this PowerChina Company, whom we have been meeting, and with whom we have been working, they have been in Nicaragua for several days now and they have had meetings to address the generating issue, increased generation, such that we have a energy generation that gives us security, gives us stability, that makes us self-sufficient, certainly at least a part of the energy generation, and we are talking about Solar Energy, to work on a Solar Energy Project of great dimensions for Nicaragua, one that gives us a solid base to be self-sufficient.
The People's Republic of China has enormous experience in this area, in the People's Republic of China, on such projects. I was watching on Chinese television, the other day, a Program of the gigantic Projects they have there and how they are incorporating elements so that Solar Energy can be developed.
Similarly, they have been meeting to take up again with our friends the matter of exploration, this Project in which I explained that we had been working with the Statoil Company, and we talked about Solar Energy and we also talked about hydroelectric Energy, because here we have some Projects for which the complete studies are already done.
These are Projects that began to be explored, to be worked and a framework created, in the 80's with the Soviet Union; that is to say, Russian and Soviet engineers took part in those Studies. Because also for Nicaragua talking about a Hydroelectric Project of some dimensions, taking advantage of the water that we have, where up to 350 megawatts can be generated, then we are talking about a Project that gives Nicaragua great security in terms of not being dependent on the variations of oil costs.
These Projects have also been presented to our friends, the Studies already done for 2 large Projects, Mojolka and Copalar, which are in the Caribbean area, looking towards the Caribbean Sea, where the water springs are, which have been sustained and are maintained in an area where we have good rainfall, namely the whole Caribbean Zone, and that gives security and stability to a Hydroelectric Project.
Therefore, we are talking about Projects that have to do with Energy Generation. What for? For the benefit of Nicaragua's Families and also for the country's development, for its Companies, for its Industries, and this allows us to have Energy operating with greater security given that we are producing it here in Nicaragua, both Solar and Hydroelectric Energy.
And then too, we cannot give up, we should say, on the possibilities of exploiting Oil here, finding Oil, being able to commercialize it, and also Gas, it is true that we are seeing the great tensions that the cost of Oil is generating at the moment; the Countries that have Oil of course benefit in these conditions, on the one hand there are costs, on the other hand there are benefits.
We are not oil producers, so we are dependent on these ups and downs which are going to have an impact on whom? They have an impact on Energy bills; the Energy bills of the Companies that generate employment, that generate work, and therefore they affect employment because the production costs of the Companies rises; they make Transportation more expensive, we are making efforts so that transportation fares do not skyrocket, in other words, transportation costs in Nicaragua is not at the level they should be.
We do not have Energy prices delivered to the population, to Nicaragua's Families, delivered to the Producers, or delivered to the Industry, we do not have them at thelevel they are in other Countries. Why? Because we have made a policy to find a way to cushion the price rises, by subsidizing. We have to say this very clearly... we are subsidizing!
It is an enormous effort for a country like Nicaragua, but we are subsidizing so that the costs of productive activities do not skyrocket, of social activities as well, of the self-same Hospitals, of the self-same Schools, because they all demand Energy, Energy demand is everywhere.
So here we are taking on a challenge, and it is that, with the support of the People's Republic of China, the support of the Companies of the People's Republic of China, the support of the Chinese People, the Chinese Government, the President of China, in relation to which we are very happy about strengthening relations, how they are moving forward, how they are advancing after having resumed them once more. We can already see the results.
The President of this great Company with his Team, with his Management Workers here accompanying us, because there is policy guidance there. President Xi Jinping looks towards developing countries and has proposed the Silk Road, and we are part of the Silk Road. This means investments, trade, boosting investment and trade in developing countries, in Africa, as they have been doing, in Asia and Latin America.
This s a truly exemplary relationship of how a Power behaves that knows how to build relations with Countries so as to improve the living conditions of their Peoples; this is an extraordinary contribution that the People's Republic of China has been making in the World.
We welcome you. We know that you are about to conclude your meetings, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow you will be leaving our country, but you have had a full day's work and we wanted to greet you on behalf of our people, and tell you how happy we are to have a delegation like the one you lead, visiting Nicaragua. And our greetings to your Workers, to the People of China and to the President of the People's Republic of China.
Remarks by Mr. Yu Bo
Representative of China in Nicaragua
and Counselor of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Nicaragua
Your Excellency Comrade President-Comandante Daniel Ortega; dear Comrade Laureano Ortega, Presidential Advisor; dear Comrade Ivan Acosta, Minister of Finance; dear Comrades of the Delegation of the Nicaraguan Government Cabinet; dear Comrade Hou Xiaotun, President for the Americas of PowerChina.
Comrades, first of all, on behalf of the Embassy of China, I would like to express our great appreciation and gratitude to His Excellency Comrade President-Comandante Daniel Ortega for his very important and effusive words; we take them with great seriousness, as guidance from the highest level, the highest level of the Government of Nicaragua, as a guide together with the guidance of President Xi Jinping, we will carry out to strengthen the relations of friendship and cooperation between China and Nicaragua.
It has also been a great honor to have this opportunity, for me and for our Delegation, our Embassy, to be here in this very important and timely Meeting, on this very special occasion.
A little over 100 days ago, under the firm leadership of President Xi Jinping and President-Comandante Daniel Ortega, China and Nicaragua re-established diplomatic relations in record time. A political decision that corresponds not only to the prevailing trend of history and the current of the times, but also to the fundamental interests of the two countries and peoples.
Since then, bilateral relations have begun their great march to a new historic point. We have been strengthening mutual political trust, always on the basis of the One China Principle.
In January, the Special Envoy of President Xi Jinping visited Nicaragua to attend the inauguration of the President-Comandante and the Vice President, conveying a message of friendship and support from the Chinese government and people to the Nicaraguan government and people.
We were also able to form in a short time the two Parliamentary Friendship Groups, both in the National People's Congress of China and in the National Assembly of Nicaragua; another indication showing our joint will to promote the development of bilateral relations.
We would like to xpress our deep thanks for the timely letter showing the Solidarity and Unity of the Nicaraguan People and Government, led by the President Comandante of the Nicaraguan People and Government, addressed by the President Comandante and the Vice President, to our President Xi Jinping, after the aviation tragedy in China.
We have been promoting the historic bond between the Communist Party of China and the Sandinista National Liberation Front, initiated by the important and historic visit of President-Comandante Daniel to China in 1986. Both Parties recently resumed their contact by means of a videoconference between representatives of the two parties.
Our Parties have similar philosophies and objectives. The Chinese Party is willing to continue to promote close exchange between our two Fraternal Parties, to promote mutual learning of the experience of governance and administration of the Country and the Party, for the benefit of our Peoples.
We have been strengthening coordination in the multilateral and international arena. China's position has been firm, sanctions have never been a fundamental and effective way to solve a problem. China categorically opposes some countries arbitrarily exercising unilateral sanctions and extra territorial jurisdiction against other countries in any form.
We will strengthen coordination with Nicaragua in multilateral affairs to jointly uphold true Multilateralism, safeguarding World Peace, Equity and International Justice, so as to promote the construction of a new type of International Relations and a community of shared destiny for Humanity.
We have been pushing for pragmatic Cooperation, China supports the efforts of the Government of National Reconciliation and Unity to improve the living standards of its People and fight against Poverty. We are willing to collaborate with the Nicaraguan side to promote Cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Comprehensive Development Initiative.
Currently, my colleagues from different Ministries in China are in daily contact with their counterpart, led by Comrade Laureano, Comrade Ivan Acosta and other Comrades, to reach agreements on a series of Cooperation Agreements, including topics such as Trade Facilitation, important Infrastructure Projects, Financing, Education, etc.
The reason for today's meeting is precisely to deepen work on these important issues. We hope to see in the near future, more investments and greater presence of Chinese companies in the country, to strengthen our economic and trade ties, always benefiting both peoples.
I am convinced that under the guidance of President Xi Jinping and President-Comandante Daniel Ortega we will advance firmly, overcoming all obstacles and create a beautiful shared Future between our two Countries and Peoples. Thank you very much.
Remarks by Mr. Hou Xiaotun
President for the Americas of PowerChina
Your Excellency Mr. President Daniel Ortega; Honorable Representative of China, Mr. Yu Bo; Comrades and Friends, good evening. It is an honor to participate in tonight's activity.
PowerChina is a State-Owned Enterprise of the Government of China, currently working in more than 20 countries in the Americas, pursuing the idea of offering services, from Planning and Design, Engineering, to execution and operation for the Government and Private Sectors.
So far PowerChina has completed more than 4 gigawatts of Hydropower, and more than 3 gigawatts of Wind Power in the Americas, and also has 2 gigawatts of Renewable Energy Projects under implementation in the Americas.
We have built more than 5,000 kilometers of transmission lines, 2,000 kilometers of Highways; we have built more than 100 Schools, Hospitals and Water Projects, as well as Projects related to the daily life of the People.
We have completed Projects worth more than US$20,000 million and we currently have more than 60 Projects under execution in the Americas. We have approximately 10,000 employees in the Americas, among them more than 9,000 are local. In addition to offering expertise and technologies, we also offer more local job opportunities.
This is the first time I have visited Nicaragua, a Country of volcanoes and everywhere I have visited in Nicaragua I deeply feel the enthusiastic warmth of a People, like their Volcanoes, and I have also noticed the kindness and friendliness of the Nicaraguan People.
In the past two days and in the Meetings, I have also very much noticed the Cooperation, the efficiency and also the practicality of the Nicaraguan Government. I am sure that given the correct direction of its Government and the hard work of its People, the Economy of Nicaragua will achieve greater development and the People of Nicaragua will achieve a Better Life.
PowerChina wants to share our experiences and knowledge in the sectors of Electricity, Renewable Energy and also Water Projects. As we achieve them, we also contribute to the development of Nicaragua and likewise offer our ability to increase the friendship between Nicaragua and China. Thank you very much.
Remarks by Daniel
We have listened, Nicaraguan brothers and sisters, Nicaraguan families, to the words of people who are immersed in Programs for Life in the People's Republic of China, and who are thinking not only only about themselves, but are thinking well beyond.
They see beyond China, they see the Planet, they see Humanity, and clearly we see this very much in the projects they are developing in different Regions of the World, including those that our compañero has just listed, that they are developing here in our Latin American and Caribbean Region. In such ways, we can recognize the strength of a People, of a Nation that has been built with much effort, with much sacrifice.
When we were in the People's Republic of China in the 1980s, we found a great country, an immense country, but one that was addressing great challenges and opening up new paths for development. And we are already seeing the fruits of this, how the Chinese economy has already become the world's first economy, and which is self sustainable.
It is not like other Economies that sustain themselves at the expense of other Nations, of other Peoples, and on that point there would a great deal to talk about, given the practices we all know of Colonialism, Neo-colonialism and Imperialism, which manifests itself in the most brutal and barbaric way, rending their garments when we remind them that they are the only ones who have dropped atomic bombs in the World, the United States of America. That is a crime, a genocide that was committed against 2 cities, against 2 towns in Japan: Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
And who had started that war? It was started by Germany and by countries of a Europe that has lived continuously in wars, seeking how to expand their dominion over the world, disputing world hegemony, those same Europeans killing each other over and over again.
And we share the message of China, the message of President Xi Jinping, that Peace must be defended, especially at this time, not feeding it with weapons; because with weapons what we are doing is adding fuel to the fire. Peace is not fed with sanctions, that also means causing more pain, more deaths, because Sanctions Kill too, as some Sisters and Brothers in the United States say, many of them are War Veterans who now fight for Peace, because they are more than convinced that Sanctions Kill, that is the name of the Movement of these North American Brothers and Sisters.
That is why we work with International Organizations, in the face of the threats that are being made that, when instead of looking for ways to work for Peace, we see the United States and Europe raising the axe of war and applying Sanctions that also hurt them.
The Pope said it today, that neither with weapons nor with sanctions is Peace going to be achieved. It is not by adding more weapons to the war, nor by applying more sanctions to countries, like China, that have not attacked anyone, but rather are fighting for Peace, for Development, for the Well-being of the Peoples.
I was concentrating here on Energy issues and they reminded us of the number of Programs on which we are exchanging with them. We have already been exchanging programs on housing, hospitals, highways, trade; in other words, we are dealing with all the issues that allow us to develop better living conditions for Nicaraguans and put an end to poverty, to extreme poverty, so that Nicaraguans can have a decent standard of living.
We are not aspiring to ostentatious wealth, but to a decent life, as President Xi Jinping points out too, there, as far as the Chinese people, Chinese families are concerned which is what the Nicaraguan people want, they want Peace not Sanctions
We have already seen how they sanction the People's Republic of China, that they are not going to stop, but they cannot stop the good works that China has been developing on behalf of the People of China and on behalf of the International Community.
So we say to our Brothers and Sisters, both of the PowerChina Company, to its President, Hou Xiaotun, that we are Brother Peoples, Brother Parties, that even in the period in which previous governments had cut off the relations we had with the People's Republic of China, we maintained the Party relations, and when we took over the Government, waiting for the moment to resume governmental relations, always recognizing One China.
On many occasions I was invited to visit the Province of Taiwan... No! No! No! It would not be decent, it would be disrespectful to the People of China if I had visited Taiwan. And the day will come when we will visit Taiwan when Taiwan Province is reincorporated into the great Nation of China, because that day will surely come and we will celebrate that day.
So, do have a good stay in the next few days before you leave and we send our Greetings to the People of China, to the Government of China, to the President of China, and to the Chinese Companies that are in this work of bringing Well-Being and Development, to all the Nations of the Planet. Thank you.