Chinese woman born in Caribbean country attended a meeting with Xi

For 19-year-old Yu Yinye, Saturday's handshake with President Xi Jinping may remain one of the most cherished memories of her life.

Born and raised in the Caribbean country of Trinidad and Tobago, Yu, who is Chinese, said she never expected to meet the top leader of her home country.

"I'm so excited to see him, and the beautiful Chinese first lady. I'll tell my mum as soon as I come back home," said the girl, who could not help laughing.

Yu was one of 15 students invited to attend part of the meeting between Xi and Trinidad and Tobago President Anthony Carmona on Saturday morning.

The students were from 14 middle schools in Trinidad and Tobago. Xi shook hand with each of the students and encouraged them to have more exchanges with Chinese youth.

"The young people are the hope of our countries and the future of our friendship. We should create opportunities for them to have more communication," Xi said.

Michaella Frederick, Carmona's information officer, said the special meeting was to make the young people part of the country's diplomacy, and to offer them a good chance to have a better understanding of the friendship between the two peoples.

Yu, from the Girls' High School in Charlieville, said she received the notice of the meeting from the school on Thursday. "I'm really honored," she said.

Yu said her parents traveled across the Pacific Ocean about 20 years ago from Guangdong province to this Caribbean country and settled down.

Now the family runs a Chinese restaurant, and Yu will enter the University of the West Indies to study biology this fall.

Yu said she has been to China three times in her life, the most recent time being in 2010.

"I like Chinese medicine," she said. "My dream is to open a Chinese herbal medicine store in Trinidad and Tobago to help more people."