China Media Group head visits school in Rome during Xi's state visit

China Media Group has given a gift of dozens of Chinese films, television programs, and books to teachers and students at the Rome Convitto Nazionale Vittorio Emanuele II boarding school in Italy, reports CCTV News. The gift followed a letter that the students sent to President Xi Jinping. President Xi wrote back to the students, and sent them a signed copy of the second volume of his book "Xi Jinping: Governance of China".

Shen Haixiong, the president of China Media Group, shows the gift to a teacher at the school. [Photo: CCTV]

Shen Haixiong, the president of China Media Group, visited the school to lead a discussion with a group of students and teachers. The students, who are fluent Chinese speakers, talked about the letter they sent to President Xi Jinping and expressed their gratitude for his reply.

Their letter to President Xi demonstrated their sincere interest in China and their excellent written Chinese, said Shen. He praised the school for its Chinese teaching, and said China Media Group was willing to host activities such as summer camps to help students in Italy learn Chinese and better understand Chinese culture.

The gift of books, films, and television series from Shen and China Media Group was welcomed by the students, who were keen to use documentaries like the new series "If National Treasures Could Talk" on ancient Chinese artifacts to help expand their knowledge about the country.

Shen Haixiong, the president of China Media Group, poses for a photo with students and teachers at the Italian boarding school Rome Convitto Nazionale Vittorio Emanuele II on Thursday, March 21, 2019. [Photo: CCTV]

The schools' President Paolo M. Reale said the letter they received in reply from President Xi had inspired the school to intensify the dialogue between the two countries so that even more students would fall in love with Chinese culture.

Rome Convitto Nazionale Vittorio Emanuele II is one of Italy's most prestigious boarding schools. It started offering classes in the Chinese language in 2009 with the introduction of its Five-year Senior School Science Courses in Chinese.