Accompanied by Chilean President Michelle Bachelet (left), Chinese Premier Li Keqiang meets with Alicia Barcena (right), Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, in Santiago, Chile, on May 25 (XINHUA)
People-to-people exchanges
As an ancient Chinese saying goes, "Amity between people holds the key to sound relations between states."
Apart from economy and trade, Premier Li's tour in Latin America boosted ties in the field of cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Despite an intensive schedule, Premier Li managed to attend a number of such events during his visit.
At a symposium on China-Latin America cultural exchanges in Bogota on May 22, Premier Li called for more cooperation between China, Colombia and Latin America at large at the cultural level.
Over 100 figures from literary and art circles in both countries attended the symposium. Chinese Nobel laureate of literature Mo Yan said at the symposium that he has been greatly influenced by the masterpieces of Colombian writer and fellow Noble laureate Gabriel García Márquez, while President Santos returned the compliment by saying that many Colombian writers greatly admire the sweep and depth of China's 5,000-year-old culture.
In Lima in Peru, Premier Li visited an exhibition on the Chavin and Inca cultures as well as a photo exhibition on the origin of the Chinese civilization at the National Museum of the Archaeology, Anthropology, and History. He returned the favor by gifting a replica of an ancient Chinese mask to the museum.
Guo Cunhai, a researcher at the Institute of Latin America of CASS, told Xinhua News Agency that in the next five years, relations between China and Latin America are likely to develop quickly. In this sense, both sides must deepen mutual understanding, he stressed.
China has established over 30 Confucius Institutes in 14 Latin American countries so far, which have played an important role in promulgating Chinese culture and promoting cultural exchanges.
The fruits of Premier Li's tour and ongoing cooperation reflect the sound ties between China and Latin America. As Alicia Barcena, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, wrote in Chilean newspaper El Mercurio on May 24, China-Latin America relations are now full of vitality.
