Interview: Colombian students in China to play key role in bolstering bilateral ties, says friendship association chief

BOGOTA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Young Colombians who have the opportunity to travel and study in China nowadays can take a key role as messengers of Colombia-China friendship, Guillermo Puyana, president of the Colombia China Friendship Association has said.

The young Colombians who study in China will be able to make important contributions to Colombia in the future in various ways, and will bear the responsibility to spread the message about how important it is for Colombia to maintain a solid and deep relationship with China, he said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

These students have first-hand experience of China's culture and civilization, and their "contributions to Colombia, if they return to work here, will be enormous due to the quality of their training," said Puyana.

"We are launching a nationwide event for youth in relation to China so youth organizations from both sides can converge on a common agenda for the future relationship between Colombia and China, because in a few years they will be in charge of the course of this relationship," he said.

To facilitate such exchanges, the association has launched several initiatives, including a free online magazine named "Camino a China," or "Road to China" in English, earlier this year, with student stories featuring agriculture, gastronomy, culture, science and other topics, said Puyana.

With the first two issues already available online, the magazine was designed to have contents "fully developed by Colombian students in China," that demonstrates their "trajectory, personal and professional growth" in the Asian country, said a launching statement in January.

Puyana noted the publication, while seeking to raise awareness among Colombians about the educational and work opportunities China offers for younger generations, showcases the key role in promoting bilateral ties these young people are poised to play over the coming years.

"The most important goal is to provide a window to Colombian students who are, have been or will be in China, and to let them write about their academic, cultural and personal experiences, and how being in China has positively transformed their lives," he said.

Puyana stressed that bilateral relations are at a crucial point, as seen in a recent growth of high-level exchanges and economic cooperation, and the new generations must continue to strengthen ties through mutual knowledge.

"I have no doubt that this set of factors will demand that mutual knowledge of the two cultures continue to increase," he said.