Culture & Sports
18:12, 13-Jan-2017
Belt & Road Initiative: China's teen football program kicks off in Spain
Updated
10:34, 28-Jun-2018
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There’s been plenty of talk about the economic benefits behind the Belt and Road Initiative. But China is also seeking to boost cultural ties with the initiative as well, and one of the ways is through football.
Chen Jiahao, a 16-year-old who loves football, is getting a chance most kids in China only dream about: he has been training in Club Atletico de Madrid for four years.
Chen was among the first group of teenage football players sent to Spain by China's competitive training program. Now, he can play for some of the best, most disciplined coaches in the world.
The program started in 2012. It selects 30 teenage football players out of a thousand candidates each year. They are aged around 12, and are trained in three major football clubs in Spain.
Teenagers like Chen are getting this opportunity because of China's Belt and Road Initiative. It's not just for economic benefits, but also for strengthening cultural exchanges.
CGTN's Wang Hui went to Spain to find out how the program and players are doing.