Young Peruvians foster Sino-Peruvian ties

Two Peruvian students in China share their experiences of cultural exchange, highlighting opportunities for deeper cooperation between China and Peru in education, tourism, and technology.

Rosa Isabel Neira Alvarez, 19, is a first-year business administration major at Shanghai University (SHU). Before coming to China, she spent three years taking online Chinese courses through a Confucius Institute in Peru.

Although there are four Confucius Institutes in Peru, the one closest to her hometown, located at the University of Piura in Piura, is still two hours away. Despite the distance, Alvarez's passion for learning Chinese remained strong, and the online courses allowed her to continue her studies.

"My teachers were all native Chinese speakers, and I was able to make significant progress in a short period of time," Alvarez said. "They were patient and encouraging, and they motivated me to apply for scholarships that eventually brought me to China."