Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday that the essence of Chinese and British cultures has brought a fantastic "chemical reaction" into their own people's way of thinking and lifestyle through people-to-people exchanges.

国家主席习近平22日表示，通过人文交流，中英两国文化中的精华正在对两国人民的思维方式和生活方式产生着奇妙的“化学反应。”

习近平指出，多年来，孔子学院和孔子课堂的教职工为介绍中华文化、沟通人民心灵（communicate people's minds）、搭建友谊桥梁倾注了大量热情和心血（passion and painstaking efforts），取得了可喜成绩。语言是了解一个国家最好的钥匙，孔子学院是世界认识中国（the world to understand China）的一个重要平台（an important platform）。