There is an old Chinese saying: "The joy of life lies in knowing each other." "The peoples of China and Peru have always been connected by feelings and hearts. Here, I would like to mention two Peruvian friends. One is the late Peruvian writer and journalist Antonio Arce, who has been to China many times since the 60s of the last century to show the real China to the Latin American people. In 1970, his daughter Mei Mei was born in Beijing, but unfortunately suffered from sepsis. When Premier Zhou Enlai learned of this situation, he immediately instructed medical experts to treat her, and the Chinese People's Liberation Army quickly organized soldiers to rush to the hospital to donate blood. When she grew up, like her father, Mei Mei contributed to the cause of Sino-Peruvian friendship for a long time.

The other is the Peruvian sinologist and translator Mr. Ji Yemo, who taught Spanish at Nanjing University and the University of International Business and Economics in China from 1979 to 1991 and wrote "Reports from China", "Selected Poems of Li Bai", "Encyclopedia of Chinese Culture" and other works. In addition, he is also a movie star in China, starring in 25 Chinese films including "Armageddon" and "Chongqing Negotiation", which are loved by Chinese audiences. Now that Mr. Ji Yemo is 87 years old, I would like to pay high tribute to him when I heard that he still insists on visiting China every year.

-- "Solidarity in the Boat, Sailing Ahead, Creating a Bright Future for China-Latin America Relations: Speech at the Peruvian Congress" (November 21, 2016)

Further reading:

Antonio Arce, an "old friend of the Chinese", is a Peruvian journalist and writer. Born in 1931 in the northern Peruvian city of Trujillo, he was elected president of the National Association of Journalists of Peru at the age of 25 and served as editor-in-chief of several well-known Peruvian newspapers.

Arce has long been concerned about the changes and development of China, and often publishes articles about New China in newspapers and periodicals. In 1967, Arce came to China with his wife to work at the Beijing Broadcasting Station. Three years later, his daughter Meimei was born. However, it didn't take long for Mei Mei to get severe sepsis and her condition was critical. When Premier Zhou Enlai learned of this situation, he immediately asked the military hospital to arrange for several experts to consult Meimei. To treat Meimei, a large amount of blood transfusion is required. However, the hospital's blood bank is running out of plasma that matches Meimei's blood type. The situation was urgent, and the medical department quickly called for help from the troops stationed in Beijing. When the fighters learned the news, they rushed to the hospital to donate blood. In the end, Meimei turned the corner and got out of danger.

In the historical process of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Peru, Arce also played the role of "special envoy". Around 1970, when he returned to Peru to visit his father, who was seriously ill, Arce conveyed to the Peruvian government China's willingness to expand exchanges with Peru and the relevant principles for establishing diplomatic relations. Through his matchmaking, China and Peru quickly established a channel of communication and formally established diplomatic relations on November 2, 1971. In 1983, Arce returned to China as a Spanish expert in the International Department of Xinhua News Agency. He has written numerous articles on China, which have appeared in Latin American and Spanish newspapers.

At the age of nearly 90, Ji Yemo, whose original name is Guillermo da Niño, is a Peruvian sinologist. His relationship with China began in 1979. That year, as a professor of literature and linguistics at the Universidad Nacional de San Marcos in Peru, he was invited to Nanjing University to teach 15 Spanish teachers. In addition to this, he is also a "movie star" and a "poet". In the past 20 years in China, he has participated in 25 Chinese films such as "The Great Battle", "Chongqing Negotiations" and "Mao Zedong and Snow", and translated 9 Tang poems in 9 years, becoming one of the sinologists who have translated the most Tang poems in Latin American countries. In addition, he has published a number of books on Chinese history and culture, such as "Carving the Dragon: Selected Ancient Chinese Poems", "The Industrious Bee: 1000 Idioms, Proverbs, and Afterwords", and "Encyclopedia of Chinese Culture".

In his speech at the Peruvian Congress, Xi Jinping told the touching story of two Peruvian friends, aiming to illustrate that "the people of China and Peru have always been connected by feelings and hearts", and that they are a "community with a shared future" linked by hearts. Friendship between countries is rooted in the people and rooted in exchanges. In the 90s of the 20th century, Xi Jinping visited Peru. After more than 20 years, he once again set foot on Peruvian soil, and he used "three good" to summarize the friendship between China and Peru: good brothers who trust each other, good partners who develop together, and good friends who share responsibilities. In his speech, Xi also quoted a famous quote from Peruvian writer Rivero: "True happiness lies in always maintaining a pioneering zeal." "It is a sign of the desire for sincere cooperation between the two peoples on the road to realizing their dreams. Peru aims to achieve a just, equitable and united Peru in 2021, on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of its independence; By then, China will build a moderately prosperous society in all respects and achieve the first goal of the "Two Centenary Goals". Xi Jinping has put the goals of China and Peru at the same time, hoping that the people of the two countries will "walk side by side and realize their dreams hand in hand".