China Chat | A Letter from President Xi

What happens when a European entrepreneur writes to Chinese President Xi Jinping?

Simon Lichtenberg from Denmark did just that -- and received a personal reply.

He first came to China in 1987 to study at Fudan University. Back then, Shanghai's Pudong was still farmland. He stayed, building not just a business but a life.

Nearly four decades later, he wrote to the Chinese president -- a letter filled with gratitude, reflection and a vision for a more connected world.

Why did he write the letter? What message did he hope to convey, not just to China's top leader, but to the world?

In an interview with Xinhua's Miao Xiaojuan, Lichtenberg holds the president's letter in his hands as he shares his story -- a rare glimpse into how one foreign businessman sees China: not just as a market, but as a future worth believing in.

In his words: "Choosing China is choosing the future."

A Miao Xiaojuan Studio Film

A Xinhua News Agency Production