Luciano Tanto Clement, consul general of the Republic of Argentina in Shanghai Photos: Courtesy of the Consulate General of the Republic of Argentina in Shanghai

In a recent exclusive interview, Luciano Tanto Clement, consul general of the Republic of Argentina in Shanghai, told the Global Times how the consulate brought the charm, elegance and sensuality of Argentine tango to the CIIE in 2025. 
 

A tango session at the Argentine National Pavilion at the CIIE Photo: Courtesy of the Consulate General of the Republic of Argentina in Shanghai

Tanto Clement said that tango is an iconic art form, recognized around the world. Despite the deep cultural association with its country of origin, this is a genre of dance that has crossed borders to conquer the rest of the world. For this reason, the performances at the CIIE featured a couple of Chinese tango dancers, Tanto Clement said. So there was a Yangtze River Delta couple dancing to Argentine music in the cosmopolitan city of Shanghai, he added. 

His team was not sure about the reception by the local public, he said, noting that Argentine films and TV series are popular in Latin America and the West, but are not so well-known to Chinese audiences. "But our expectations were far exceeded," he said. 

"Apart from cultural performances per se, there are cultural elements for sure. For instance, in our National Pavilion we had a replica of the 2022 Qatar World Cup. This was a massively popular attraction during CIIE, as everyone wanted to take a picture with it and to wear an Argentine National Team football shirt," he said. 

At the country's national Pavilion, a massive, curved screen the size of a whole wall was set up to display a twice-daily tango show. These cultural performances act as a bridge to deepen mutual understanding and trust between the two peoples, Tanto Clement said.

"Music and dance are absolutely key. When you listen to a band playing its mournful tunes while at the same time seeing a couple dancing this passionate, vibrant and roguish dance known as tango, you are immediately traveling with your mind to the cobblestone streets of Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina. You don't even need to understand the lyrics of the tango songs, which are characteristically sung in an archaic dialect of this city … but you get the strong feeling behind the lyrics, and that's what really matters," he explained. 

As for the potential outcome of these exchanges, Tanto Clement said he expects to see progress in the tourism sector. 

"Tourism is where we anticipate the highest interest in the near future. This year our government has exempted Chinese tourists and business people who want to travel to Argentina from needing an Argentine visa as long as they have a valid US B1/B2 visa," he said.

He mentioned that compared to purely commercial and trade displays, cultural performances hold unique significance for enhancing the appeal and recognition of a country's brands and products in China.

"I would like to make a personal recommendation to CIIE organizers. I believe the experience of visitors can be highly improved if cultural performances have a greater role at CIIE. There is so much cultural potential in this platform that can be used to enhance country-related brand recognition," he added. 

Culture is essential to winning the hearts and minds of foreign people, as behind every brand and every product there is a history, he noted.