LA PAZ, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Bolivia's government on Tuesday awarded Chinese ambassador to Bolivia Wu Yuanshan with the Order of the Condor of the Andes, Grand Cross grade.
Bolivia's Foreign Minister Fernando Huanacuni presented the order of merit to Wu, who will return to China after his two-and-a-half-year term, during a ceremony at the ministry's headquarters in La Paz.
Wu thanked Bolivia for the honor and underscored the strong ties between the two countries, saying that bilateral relations have been bolstered under the leadership of Bolivian President Evo Morales.
"Bolivia is a country with a lot of potential, and it is the heart of South America," Wu said, calling for more cooperation between the two countries.
China and Bolivia have several joint projects underway in the fields of industry, scientific development, technology and tourism among others, Wu noted.
Former recipients of the order include French general Charles de Gaulle, Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie and Yugoslavian statesman Josip Broz Tito.
Huanacuni thanked China for its support for various development projects, and highlighted the high-level, productive collaboration between the two countries.
"We have achieved a level of complementarity, dedicated in many cases of friendly bilateral cooperation for the benefit of our peoples. We value China's collaboration, which has allowed us to develop important projects, and to have a good development outlook," said the minister.
Chinese companies active in Bolivia cover various fields, such as steel, oil and electricity, among others, including Sinohydro, Sinosteel, Sinopec, China International Water and Electric Corp, CAMC Engineering, China Railway, Vicstar Shenzhen and China Harzone.
