Liu Jiang Attends and Delivers a Speech at the Opening Ceremony of the 2026 Inau

On the afternoon of May 29, the 2026 Inaugural Nicaragua Design China Tour officially kicked off at the China-Latin America Cultural Exchange Center in Beijing. Under the theme "Integrating Chinese and Nicaraguan Creativity, Jointly Building a New Ecosystem for Design", the event was co-hosted by Nicaragua’s National Council for Creativity and Orange Economy, the Embassy of Nicaragua in China and the China-Latin America Cultural Exchange Center in Beijing, with support from organizations including the China Council for International Economic and Cultural Exchanges. More than 150 guests from diplomacy, culture, economy and trade, education, design, business, media and other sectors attended the event.

Present at the ceremony were Carlos Enrique Cordero Arce, Ambassador of Nicaragua to China; Riza Podaj, Ambassador of Albania to China; Sabino Vaca Narvaja, Ambassador of Argentina to China; Leonardo Kam Velásquez, Ambassador of Panama to China; Helena de Jesus Belo, Ambassador of Timor-Leste to China, as well as a Nicaraguan design delegation led by Javiera Granja, General Coordinator of Nicaragua Diseña.

The opening ceremony was hosted by He Beibei, presenter from China Media Group. Javiera Granja, General Coordinator of Nicaragua Diseña; Wang Lichao, Director of the China-Latin America Cultural Exchange Center in Beijing; and Liu Jiang, Vice President and Secretary-General of the China Council for International Economic and Cultural Exchanges, delivered speeches respectively.

In her address, Javiera Granja introduced the role of Nicaragua Diseña in advancing local design, fashion, creative education and youth talent development. She noted that this debut exhibition in China marks a major step in the internationalization of Nicaragua Diseña, and a valuable opportunity for Nicaraguan creative professionals to connect with China’s design, education and market resources.

Wang Lichao stated that hosting the inaugural Nicaragua Design exhibition in China is an innovative initiative for official and people-to-people cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and Nicaragua, as well as a tangible achievement of the China-Latin America Cultural Exchange Center’s long-standing efforts to promote cultural ties between China and Latin America. He recalled the development of the project: during his visit to Nicaragua in late 2022, he held friendly and practical talks with Camila Ortega Murillo, President of Nicaragua’s National Council for Creativity and Orange Economy, and signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation, launching the plan to bring Nicaragua Diseña to China.

Wang Lichao pointed out that the event coincides with the 5th anniversary of the resumption of diplomatic relations between China and Nicaragua. With the theme of integrating bilateral creativity and fostering a new design ecosystem, the event showcases the achievements of Nicaragua’s creative economy and builds a platform for bilateral cooperation in design, trade, branding, education and talent training. Featuring fashion shows, art exhibitions, forums, fairs and business matchmaking sessions, the event aims to translate cultural exchanges into practical cooperation, enabling the two sides to explore opportunities and deliver fruitful outcomes through mutual understanding and interaction.

Liu Jiang remarked that this year marks the 5th anniversary of the resumption of China-Nicaragua diplomatic ties. Over the past five years, the two countries have deepened political mutual trust, carried out vigorous practical cooperation across various fields and strengthened people-to-people bonds. From the resumption of diplomatic relations to the establishment of a strategic partnership, China-Nicaragua relations have achieved rapid growth, setting a fine example for equal treatment and win-win cooperation between countries big and small.

The Nicaragua Design China Tour serves as a vivid practice of the bilateral friendship in the creative economy and cultural design sectors. It brings Nicaragua’s unique artistic aesthetics, ethnic culture and design concepts to China, allowing the Chinese public to experience the passion and craftsmanship of the nation across the Pacific, and injecting new vitality into bilateral cultural exchanges.

As a co-organizer, the China Council for International Economic and Cultural Exchanges has long been committed to promoting people-to-people exchanges and cooperation between China and foreign countries. It has repeatedly invited friends from Latin American countries to participate in its signature events including Discover China’s Time-Honored Brands and Impressions of China. Taking this event as an opportunity, the Council will work closely with the China-Latin America Cultural Exchange Center to further deepen friendly people-to-people exchanges with Nicaragua and all Latin American countries, expand cooperation in economy and trade, culture, education, science and technology, medicine and other fields, and contribute to consolidating the comprehensive cooperative partnership between China and Latin America.

Following the opening ceremony, a China-Nicaragua Cultural and Economic & Trade Forum and the 2026 Inaugural Nicaragua Design China Fashion Show were held.

This event fully embodies the mission of the China Council for International Economic and Cultural Exchanges — to promote people-to-people exchanges between China and foreign countries and advance practical cooperation across diverse fields. It has injected new impetus from civil society into the integration of China and Nicaragua’s creative economies and the deepening of the comprehensive cooperative partnership between China and Latin America.