SAO PAULO, Aug. 4 -- Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong on Wednesday visited the Confucius Institute affiliated with Sao Paulo State University and asked students there to carry forward the traditional friendship between the two peoples and help promote bilateral ties.

Respectively the largest developing nations in the Eastern and Western hemispheres, China and Brazil are each other's important cooperation partner, noted Liu.

The two countries have a long history of friendly exchanges and Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang conducted successful visits to Brazil, which have elevated the bilateral relationship to a higher level, the Chinese vice premier said, adding that the two countries are now enjoying closer ties in such areas as education, science and culture, among others.

"Not long ago, President Xi, Premier Li and I have received a letter signed by Mr. Luis Antonio Paulino, dean of the Confucius Institute and some 30 students from the school ... We are really moved by their enthusiasm for the Chinese language and their aspiration to learn more about China," said Liu.

There has been increasing interest in Brazil in learning the Chinese language and the Latin American country hosts the largest number of Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms, Liu said.

There are about 20,000 students registered at the 10 Confucius Institutes and the four middle school Confucius Classrooms in Brazil. Many primary and middle schools have incorporated the Chinese language into their regular school curriculum, she added.

Meanwhile, more and more Chinese youngsters have started to learn Portuguese. Nearly 30 universities are teaching Portuguese, Liu said, adding that learning each other's language has played an irreplaceable role in enhancing the friendship between the two peoples.

Liu said that she hoped the Confucius Institutes in Brazil would highlight their unique features, integrate resources and explore potential to promote the communication and coordination among them and that between Chinese and overseas enterprises and social organizations, enhance people-to-people exchanges between the two countries and consolidate the public opinion on bilateral ties.

Liu also expressed the hope that Brazilians would enhance understanding of China through learning the Chinese language and culture so that they would carry forward the China-Brazil friendship, participate in pragmatic cooperation between the two countries and promote the development of bilateral ties.

The Chinese vice premier gave Chinese knots to teachers and students at Confucius Institutes as presents.

"I hope Confucius Institutes will be like the Chinese knots, which represent sincere cooperation and joint efforts between China and Brazil; they are also like the Olympic rings, which represent peace and friendship," she said.

During her stay in the Confucius Institute, Liu toured classrooms and the library, chatted with teachers and students and watched a stage performance.