On top of the multi-billion dollar deals signed between Britain and China, President Xi has also had a strong focus on the need to strengthen cultural ties. CCTV’s Jack Barton has this report from London where day Three of President Xi's visit included a stop at the London Confucius Institute, one of the hundreds of such institutes now located around the world.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) and British Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, unveil the 1,000th Confucius Classroom, the Confucius Classroom at Hautlieu School, in London, Britain, Oct. 22, 2015. Xi attended the opening ceremony of an annual conference of UK Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms in London on Thursday. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)
Perhaps even more than trade and investment President Xi Jinping has talked about culture during his visit to the UK, revealing his own deep knowledge of Britain’s classics and modern trends.
"The Chinese people are enchanted by British literary classics, including the works of William Shakespeare, William Wordsworth, Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. And they love pieces of modern British art, such as Cats, James Bond movies, Harry Potter, Sherlock and Downton Abbey. In China you can find countless fans of football stars such as David Beckham and clubs like Manchester United and Arsenal," Xi said.
In Britain the interest in all things Chinese is also high … which is why president Xi met with the directors of the London Confucius institute on Thursday.
Confucius Institutes operate within established educational institutions such as universities where they provide funding, teachers and educational material for people interested in knowing more about Chinese culture.
The Director of the London institute tells me demand continues to soar.
"There has been incredibly high interest in the institute people are interested in China in China and learning Chinese, and there’s a general interest of course with the writing system, the calligraphy we do courses we do cultural events like Chinese dance, Chinese opera and there is wide interest, across the country I think in matters Chinese," Lutz Marten, director of London Confucius Institute, said.
Professor Lutz Marten believes there’s also a practical side to cultural studies.
"The more people really have a chance to learn foreign languages like Chinese to meet people from other places to go there to engage with the culture to study literature, culture, philosophy I think the more we have this sort of global understanding, which then also improves bilateral relations like the UK China relations," Marten said.
Many young Britons already get an early start in Chinese culture and language.
Given the pomp and ceremony surrounding President Xi’s visit the U.K. is also expecting an uptick in Chinese interest in all things British.
It’s why one of the measures announced during the state visit was a dramatic overhaul of the country’s visa system making it much easier for Chinese citizens to visit and study in the United Kingdom.
