Updated: 2013-06-06 08:36

President Xi Jinping's next destination on his tour in Latin America is Mexico. Like China, Mexico has a rich cultural history, and the two countries also share a love of precious jade. Ever since Mexico established diplomatic ties with China, cultural exchanges between the two countries have been an indispensable part of the relationship.

Mexico shares Latino spirit

Cactuses, corn, the Maya civilization -- these are just some of the many things that come to mind when talking about Mexico.

In fact, the Mexico we know today is the result of a mix of Indian, European and African cultures. And Latin culture is a hot topic in China.

At this year's Meet in Beijing Arts Festival there's been a special event dedicated exclusively to Latin American culture. Countries like Mexico have taken the opportunity to show Chinese audiences what Latin spirit really is.

Jade: The common denominator

Despite the distance between the two countries, China and Mexico share many cultural features, suggesting that their ancestors may have communicated before.

For example, the two civilizations have both developed a deep appreciation for jade. For them, jade is the most precious and powerful material in the world, inspiring many beautiful works of art.

In 2012, a shared reverence for jade resulted in a dialogue between China and Mexico at Beijing's Palace Museum. The exhibition "Essentials of mountains and rivers---Chinese and Mexican civilization of jade" has showcased a variety of sculptures and other artworks.

This romance of the stones also commemorated the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Enhancing cooperation in education

Apart from cultural exchanges, Mexico's cooperation with China in education is also quite extensive.

In fact, the first Confucius Institute in Latin America was initiated in Mexico City in 2006. Since then, Mexico has seen more institutes established, and now the country holds the largest number of Confucius Institutes in Latin America.

They not only function as language teaching institutions, but also bring China closer to students by organizing cultural activities.