Carlos Aquino, director of the Center for Asian Studies at Peru's National University of San Marcos, and Jorge García, political counselor of the Peruvian Embassy in China, visited Beijing International Studies University (BISU) on Sept 24.

Zheng Chengjun, vice-president of BISU and a member of the standing committee of the university's Party committee, met with the delegation.

Zheng Chengjun (right) and Carlos Aquino exchange views at BISU.

Zheng extended a warm welcome to the visitors and briefed them on the university's history, its Spanish-language program and the latest developments in BISU's educational exchanges with Peru.

He noted that Spanish was among the first language programs established when BISU was founded, and that the program has long maintained close cooperation with Peru and other Latin American countries. He also thanked the Peruvian Embassy in China for its support over the years.

BISU looks forward to establishing a partnership with the National University of San Marcos and to carrying out practical cooperation in faculty and student exchanges, discipline development, talent cultivation, Chinese-language teaching and country and region studies, he said, adding that the two universities can work together to train more people capable of contributing to China-Peru and China-Latin America people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

Aquino expressed his gratitude for the hospitality and said he hoped his first visit would mark the beginning of fruitful cooperation between the two institutions.

China is Peru's largest trading partner and largest source of investment, he noted, and as bilateral economic and trade ties continue to deepen, the value of people-to-people and academic exchanges between the two countries is becoming increasingly evident.

He pledged to encourage more Peruvian students to study at BISU and other Chinese universities and to expand student and faculty exchanges between the two universities.

Carlos Aquino delivers a lecture to BISU students.

During the visit, Aquino and his delegation held a discussion at BISU's Center for Peruvian Studies and delivered a lecture titled "China-Peru Relations in a New Era" for faculty and students of the Spanish program at BISU.