Foreign student hopes for strengthening bonds

When Camila Romero first came to China, she was amazed at how big the country is.

"And I told myself I should improve my language proficiency quickly," said the 28-year-old Argentine student, who is studying the Chinese language at Beijing Foreign Studies University.

"When I was pursuing my bachelor's degree, my teacher encouraged me to learn the Chinese language in China, where I can experience the culture and know more about the country."

Studying in China has become a popular choice for Argentine youths in recent years. When Argentine President Alberto Fernandez visited China in February last year, the two countries signed a series of cooperation agreements on the development of educational exchanges, joint academic research and scholarship programs.

Since then, exchanges and cooperation among universities in both countries have greatly increased, resulting in a significant rise in the number of Argentine students seeking to study Chinese and Chinese students wanting to study Spanish.

With a Chinese government scholarship, Romero arrived in China and started her one-year study in September last year. Living and studying in China has been a fantastic experience for her.

"Every day, I spend four to six hours learning and practicing the Chinese language. During weekends or holidays, I usually try to explore more of Beijing and other surrounding cities," Romero said, explaining that the high-speed railway connecting Beijing and Shanghai has enabled her to have different cultural experiences in China's south.

Growing interest

"Back in my home country, more Argentine people have become interested in Chinese culture, language and history. At the same time, we have a really big community of Chinese people in our country," the international relations student told China Daily.

"As the only Argentine student here in our school, every time people recognize me, they would say, 'Oh! Messi'. So I find that the passion for Lionel Messi and football reflects the strengthening bond between our two peoples and that we are becoming closer and closer."

In recent years, more and more Chinese students have also been going to Argentina to pursue master's and doctorate degrees. According to data from the Argentine Ministry of Education, there are more than 4,000 Chinese students in the South American country.

"With Argentina being part of the Belt and Road Initiative, China is helping Argentina become more connected to the world," Romero said. "China is an important economic partner for Argentina and the two economies are complementary to each other. So it is the time now to further strengthen our relationship."