On January 9, 2026, led by Juliana Santillán, Chair of the Argentina-China Friendship Group of the Chamber of Deputies of the National Congress of Argentina, a delegation of Argentine political parties visited Sanlitun, Chaoyang District, Beijing. The delegation toured the Sanlitun International Volunteer Service Station, the Taikoo Li Commercial Area, the Delivery Riders’ Service Station, and the International Youth Talent Hall, and held discussions with officials from Chaoyang District. The event was attended by Ma Hui, Vice Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee; Marcelo Suárez Salvia, Ambassador of Argentina to China; Jin Xiaopeng, Deputy Director-General of the Bureau V (Latin American Affairs) of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee; and Zhao Haidong, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Chaoyang District Committee and Executive Vice Mayor of Chaoyang District, among others.
The visit followed a packed schedule with a wide range of activities, offering Argentine political party representatives a multidimensional view of Chaoyang District, including its vitality as Beijing’s primary hub for international exchanges, its innovations in primary-level governance, and its vivid practices in fostering international cultural integration.
That afternoon, the delegation first visited the International Volunteer Service Station located in the core commercial area of Taikoo Li Sanlitun. Since opening in July 2024, this fully transparent glass structure has served as a vital bridge linking Chinese and international residents with the commercial area. The delegation received a detailed briefing on the station’s operational model, which brings together 235 volunteers from 17 countries and provides 24/7 services in over 80 languages, supported by the AI digital assistant, Alice. Delegation members also scanned the QR code on site to experience Alice’s interactive services in Spanish. To further boost the reputation of the “Chaoyang Residents” volunteer services, the district has built a network of 700,000 registered volunteers, including members of the Sanlitun International Volunteer Service Team, and has released more than 120,000 volunteer service tasks in total. The delegation spoke highly of Chaoyang’s volunteer team for its effectiveness in bridging cultural differences between Chinese and international communities and in strengthening foreign residents’ sense of belonging.
Accompanied by officials from the Sanlitun Subdistrict, the delegation then toured the core commercial area of Taikoo Li Sanlitun, walking through this iconic, trendsetting destination to experience the fashionable atmosphere and vibrancy of the open-air commercial complex. Upon arriving at the West Zone, the delegation visited the Sanlitun Delivery Riders’ Service Station—China’s first service station within a commercial area to support groups in new forms of employment. Covering an area of 50 square meters, the station features a modern design and well-equipped facilities, including microwave ovens, first-aid kits, and charging equipment. Through initiatives such as the “Sanlitun Co-building Cabinet” and points-based incentive schemes, the station also encourages workers in new forms of employment to participate in urban governance. It is reported that, with a focus on Party building in emerging sectors, Chaoyang District has established 17 industry-specific Party committees in areas such as express delivery and transportation, set up 50 Party branches for workers in new forms of employment, and developed nearly 4,000 service stations. The delegation members were deeply impressed by Chaoyang District’s innovative practices in delivering targeted services to create “warm and welcoming havens” and improve the primary-level governance based on collaboration, participation, and shared benefits.
The final stop was the International Youth Talent Hall located at the Sanlitun Subdistrict Party-Mass Service Center. The hall houses the Beijing-Argentina Youth Innovation Center, which was officially inaugurated in April 2024. The initiative represents a tangible outcome of the economic and trade delegation visits between China and Latin America in 2023. A representative from the International Youth Talent Hall briefed the delegation on the center’s development. Covering approximately 420 square meters, the facility has hosted 221 international exchange, innovation and entrepreneurship, and cultural events since its pilot operation in January 2024, engaging more than 9,900 young talents from 40 countries. To further promote collaboration, participation, and shared benefits, Chaoyang District has established 68 resident reception halls featuring a wide range of themes. As a key platform for talent exchanges and resource aggregation, the International Youth Talent Hall has facilitated the implementation of multiple international cooperation projects. It has also hosted a series of entrepreneur salons and targeted industry matchmaking events specifically focused on China-Argentina cooperation, yielding notable results.
Following the visit, the two sides held a meeting at the talent hall. Zhao Haidong gave a systematic overview of Chaoyang District’s six defining strengths: robust economic vitality, rich international resources, a dynamic innovation ecosystem, cultural vibrancy, a livable environment, and efficient governance. He also highlighted the achievements of cooperation between Chaoyang District and Argentina in areas such as youth innovation, culinary culture, and educational exchanges. Zhao noted that in addressing the complex challenge of governing a super-large city, Chaoyang District upholds the philosophy that “the best service is the best form of governance”. The district has developed concrete, accessible service scenarios to realize its vision of becoming an ideal destination for living, working, doing business, studying, and traveling—fostering strong synergies toward the goal of building a “Better Chaoyang”. He added that, with the guidance and support of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee and the Beijing Foreign Affairs Office, Chaoyang District stands ready to further deepen pragmatic cooperation with Argentina in areas including sister-city relations, economic and trade, sci-tech innovation, and cultural exchanges.
In her remarks, Santillán expressed her appreciation to the Chinese side for the warm hospitality and meticulous arrangements. She noted that this was her second visit to China in just over a year. Through this visit, the delegation witnessed Chaoyang District’s remarkable achievements in economic and social development, urban governance, and international integration. She highlighted the district’s practices in volunteer services, support for workers in new forms of employment, and international youth exchanges, which she found highly inspiring. Argentina attaches great importance to developing relations with China and stands ready to strengthen substantive cooperation with various places of China, including Chaoyang District, in political party engagement, economic and trade ties, and people-to-people exchanges.
In his concluding remarks, Ma Hui welcomed the delegation for visiting China again. He noted that the visit not only serves as an important component of exchanges between the political parties of China and Argentina, but also helps the Argentine people gain a more authentic and comprehensive understanding of China. He emphasized that China’s development adheres to a people-centered approach and is committed to the pursuit of common prosperity. The vivid practices of Chaoyang District serve as a microcosm of Chinese modernization in the governance of a super-large city like Beijing. He expressed the hope that both sides could take this visit as an opportunity to further enhance mutual understanding, deepen pragmatic cooperation across various fields, and promote the sustained and in-depth development of the China-Argentina comprehensive strategic partnership.
Through field visits and face-to-face communication, the Argentine political party delegation gained a direct and in-depth understanding of Chaoyang District’s international image, governance capacity, and development philosophy. The visit not only deepened mutual understanding between the political parties of China and Argentina, but also laid a solid foundation for broader and more substantive cooperation at the subnational level in the future.
