Argentina’s INVAP company, respected internationally for its high- technology capabilities, signed a strategic cooperation agreement with China’s Jianxi Nuclear Power (JXNPC) and Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research & Design Institute (SNARDI), for the export of reactors that will produce isotopes for use in nuclear medicine. Argentina’s state news agency, Telam, reported July 7 that the agreement was signed virtually, attended by Chinese ambassador in Buenos Aires Zhou Xiaoli and Argentine ambassador in Beijing Sabino Vaca Narvaja, and reflects agreements signed by President Alberto Fernandez when he was in Beijing in February and signed a Memorandum of Understanding to join the Belt and Road Initiative.
Vaca Narvaja, a sinologist by profession, emphasized that this agreement is an important milestone in the bilateral relationship as “in this case Argentina is the one transferring technology to China.” He pointed out that many state-sector Argentine entities, including the state oil firm, YPF, the state satellite company Arsat, and the National Space Activities Commission (CONAE), along with INVAP and many others, are currently involved in many scientific and technological projects with their Chinese counterparts.
Chinese ambassador Zhou added that the two governments are building a “long-term virtuous relationship that will allow for the development of both countries.” The head of INVAP’s nuclear marketing department, Pablo Abbate, told Xinhua that he is proud that INVAP was chosen “to work on a project [to benefit] the health of the Chinese people.”
