The jolt that spawned an emissary

Jose Carlos Feliciano delivers the keynote speech on behalf of Seed International at the World Youth Economic Forum 2015 in Shanghai. [Photo/Provided to China Daily]

"In the near future, investment will become a new engine in China-Latin American collaboration. Investment needs long-term planning and localization in many areas, which reminds us of the importance of people-to-people and cultural exchanges."

Noticing that, in recent years the Chinese government has called for greater emphasis on people-to-people exchanges with Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Report of Chinese Civil Diplomacy (2016) said that in the 15 years to 2015 more than 60 universities set up Spanish faculties, in 2015 there were between 12,000 and 14,000 university students majoring in Spanish, and in the 15 years the number of institutions of Latin American studies rose from three to 23.

Media plays an important role in promoting interaction as well. Wan Dai, a journalist with China Radio International and a former correspondent of CRI in Mexico City, estimated that at least 10 Chinese media have specialists in their Latin America coverage.

Youth exchange has been another breakthrough in China-Latin-America exchanges. A youth training program called Future Bridge proposed by President Xi Jinping when he met Latin American and Caribbean leaders in 2014 aims to turn 1,000 Latin American and Caribbean youth leaders into envoys of friendship through training programs over 10 years. Over the past 3 years, more than 200 Latin American youth leaders have visited China on Future Bridge study tours.

Feliciano said that one tool that can be deployed to improve communication between China and Latin America is technology.

"Many of us are getting information through the platform of WeChat, so it is clear that technology can be a great tool for us to be connected with one another."

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