Chueca’s economic mission in China begins with the president of Petroleum in Beijing

Economic relations between Zaragoza and the world’s leading power will receive a boost thanks to the mission organised by Zaragoza City Council, in which prominent Aragonese businessmen are participating. Mayor Natalia Chueca is leading this tour of five Chinese cities, in which different actions will be carried out in Beijing, Nanjing, Jiaxing, Haining and Shanghai, with the aim of strengthening economic relations and promoting Zaragoza as an international tourist reference.

The first stop on this tour was in Beijing, where, on the morning of Friday, February 14, at 8:00 a.m. Chinese time and 1:00 a.m. Spanish time, the Mayor visited the headquarters of China National Petroleum Corporation. This international energy company operates in more than 30 countries and covers sectors such as the exploration and production of oil, gas, renewable energy, hydrogen, refining and chemicals.

Natalia Chueca and the president of CNPC, Wang Hongtao, held a private meeting in which they explored possible lines of collaboration for the expansion of the Chinese company in Europe. Carlos Gimeno, Minister of Economy and Digital Transformation of the Zaragoza City Council, and Luis Rubio, President of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in China, also attended the meeting.

Satisfied with the good vibes of the meeting, the mayor said that Zaragoza is the city of opportunities, where major investors are setting up shop. She stressed that, over the last 20 years, the city has established itself as the most dynamic and innovative hub in terms of logistics, energy and technology in Europe.

He also highlighted the arrival of large technology companies in the city, such as AWS, Microsoft and Chinese companies such as Cablescom, Teltronic or the recent CATL battery gigafactory. Among the factors that make Zaragoza an attractive destination for investment, Chueca mentioned the proximity of 65% of the national GDP within 300 kilometres, its excellent road and high-speed rail connectivity, the second most important freight airport in Spain, its competitive tax advantages and the availability of land for large projects.

During the visit, the business delegation accompanying Zaragoza City Council participated in a second work session. Among the attendees were Pedro Machín, president of the Aragon Energy Cluster and CEO of Atalaya; Agustín Lalaguna, vice president of CEOE Zaragoza and CEO of Levitec; Fernando Carreras, CEO of the Carreras Group; Ramón Ado, manager of TMZ; Marcos Latorre, CEO of Hiberus Internacional, and Zoilo Ríos, general manager of the Zoilo Ríos Group. At the meeting, the businessmen presented their companies, establishing a first contact for future bilateral collaborations.

CHINA PETROLEUM

China Petroleum employs more than one million people, a figure that varies depending on the evolution of its business structure. In 2022, the company recorded revenues of more than 568 billion euros worldwide. Its activity is diversified into several sectors of the energy market, including the exploration and production of oil, natural gas and new energies, the international marketing of these resources, the sale of natural gas and renewable energies. It also operates in technical services in oil fields, including geophysical exploration, drilling, well logging and marine engineering, as well as engineering and construction of infrastructure for oil and gas extraction, refining and transportation.

The company is also engaged in the manufacture of oil equipment, such as drilling, refining and power generation technology, as well as offering financial services, including financial management, insurance, trusts and commercial banking. In the field of new energies, it invests in exploration of unconventional resources, renewable energies and biomass.

This meeting in Beijing marks the beginning of an intense work agenda that will take the Zaragoza delegation to different Chinese cities, with the aim of strengthening economic cooperation and attracting new investments to Zaragoza.