Meet Raquel Herrera, a 20-something MBA student from Chile who swapped the Andes for the skyscrapers of Chongqing. 🏙️ After three years mastering Mandarin at a Confucius Institute in Santiago, she landed a Chinese government scholarship in 2022 – and hasn’t looked back since.
‘I fell for China’s storybook history first,’ Raquel admits, her eyes lighting up when describing ancient tea traditions and Forbidden City lore. 🍵 But it’s modern China that’s captured her career ambitions: ‘Imagine K-pop, but with Chinese characteristics! I want to create content that makes both Chile and China say, “Why didn’t we think of that?”’
As APEC members gear up for November’s meeting in Peru, Raquel’s got two wishlist items: 🌱 Green tech collaborations that combat climate change, and 🎭 more cultural exchange programs. ‘We’re all binge-watching each other’s shows anyway – why not make it official?’ she laughs.
