President Xi Jinping has long believed that strong state-to-state relations are built on people-to-people connections. On his six trips to Latin America and the Caribbean region as head of state, he made a point of engaging with everyday people despite tight schedules.

During his trip to Costa Rica in 2013, Xi visited the home of a coffee grower who showed him around his house and plantation. Over a cup of coffee, Xi chatted with the family and shared that he, too, had rural beginnings — having spent years working the land in his youth.

His engagements have ignited vibrant people-to-people exchanges, with cultural festivals, youth projects and journalist initiatives flourishing under the China-CELAC Forum.

To date, China has provided the region with 17,000 government scholarships and 13,000 training opportunities. It has signed 26 educational cooperation agreements or memoranda of understanding with 19 countries and established 68 Confucius Institutes or Confucius Classrooms in the region.

Connections between China and the region have also been strengthened through practical measures — such as the launch of new direct air routes and the inclusion of more Latin American countries in China's 240-hour visa-free transit program.