Xi, Kuczynski pledge stronger China-LatAm cultural exchanges

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan, and Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski and his wife Nancy Lange view an exhibition of 121 selected pieces of Chinese treasures spanning over its 5,000 years of civilization after the closing ceremony of the China-Latin America and Caribbean 2016 Year of Culture Exchange in Lima, capital of Peru, Nov. 21, 2016. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)

Visiting Chinese President Xi Jinpingand his Peruvian counterpart, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, pledged to boost bilateral cultural exchanges and mutual learning between China-Latin America and Caribbean civilizations here on Monday.

Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan, warmly welcomed by Kuczynski and his wife Nancy Lange, attended the closing ceremony of the China-Latin America and Caribbean 2016 Year of Culture Exchange at Peru's National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology and History in Lima.

Speaking at the ceremony, Xi called for deepening cultural dialogue between China and Latin America and the Caribbean countries, based on mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, in order to facilitate mutual learning between their respective civilizations, thus promoting friendship between China and Latin America and Caribbean peoples, and the progress of the human society and world peace.

The China-Latin America and Caribbean 2016 Year of Culture Exchange was proposed by Xi during his visit to the continent in July, 2014, and was widely welcomed by governments and peoples in the region.

Cultural relations are important components of the overall China-Latin America and Caribbean diplomacy, said Xi.

Noting the long history of China-Latin America and Caribbean cultural exchanges and its recent booming, Xi said their peoples, though far apart from each other, share understanding and profound friendship.

He touched on the similar experiences of China and Latin America and Caribbean countries, which boast long histories and splendid cultures, had suffered from foreign invasion and social turmoil, and are now devoted to the great cause of developing economy and improving people's livelihood.

Highlighting their common dreams and pursuit, Xi stressed that China and Latin America and Caribbean peoples need not only economic development, but also cultural prosperity.

He called on relevant parties to take the culture exchange year as a new start point, seize the opportunity of the China-Latin America and the Caribbean overall cooperation, and fully learn from each other's cultural achievements, so as to make the cultural exchanges between China and Latin America and Caribbean a model for the harmonious coexistence and mutual promotion among different civilizations, and contribute to the world's cultural diversity.

Kuczynski, for his part, hailed the thousands-year-old civilizations of Peru and China, their mutual learning in the long history and closer cultural exchanges over the recent years.

Peru is willing to enhance cultural and people-to-people exchanges with China in order to better promote the development of bilateral ties, said the president.

After the ceremony, the two heads of state and their wives viewed an exhibition of 121 selected pieces of Chinese treasures spanning over its 5,000 years of civilization.

Founded in April, 1826, the National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology and History is Peru's oldest state museum.

Also Monday, Peng visited Colegio Juan XXIII, one of the prestigious Chinese language schools in Peru. The school was established in 1962.

Students demonstrated abacus calculation, calligraphy, singing and dancing. Peng praised them and said she hoped the school could further foster Chinese culture and make new contribution to China-Peru friendship.

Xi arrived in Peru on Friday, the second stop of his ongoing three-nation Latin American tour. He had visited Ecuador and will also travel to Chile.