This week, the president of China, Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, came to Mexico and visited the Yucatan. In particular, Xi Jinping wanted to visit Chichen Itza, one of the new seven wonders of the world and the crowning jewel of Yucatan tourism. Those of us who have visited Chichen Itza multiple times are used to the sight of El Castillo rising above the grassy lawn, and we sometimes forget how amazing a sight it is the first time. Xi Jinping was reportedly duly impressed and, according to an article in the Diario de Yucatan, declared himself an admirer of the Maya culture.

The Chinese president and his wife were accompanied, of course, but a large Mexican delegation which included the president of Mexico and his wife, and the governor of Yucatan. The photo (courtesy of the Diario de Yucatan) seems to show that his wife was enjoying herself but perhaps Xi Jinping himself was suffering a bit from the heat. He talked about his expectation that China will invest in Mexico’s infrastructure, renewable energy, telecommunications, electronics and the automotive industry. He also added that it was a little premature to talk about a free trade agreement between the two countries.

If these things are true, we expect to see more Chinese people moving to Mexico and especially to the Yucatan Peninsula as it was the only area of Mexico that the President visited outside of Mexico City. That’s quite a compliment for our area and perhaps a harbinger of investments and tourism to come! Obviously, at this point this is all just speculation… but we’re considering studying Mandarin just in case!