ROME, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Education experts in Italy are thrilled by Chinese President Xi Jinping's personal reply to a letter written to him by students at an Italian boarding school.

Eight students at Rome Convitto Nazionale Vittorio Emanuele II, together with the school's president Paolo M. Reale, had written to Xi ahead of the Chinese president's state visit to Italy to express their expectations for the visit and their willingness to promote friendship between the two countries.

The school is the only public one in Italy that requires students to learn Chinese.

In his reply on Sunday, Xi encouraged the students to be cultural ambassadors between the two countries, saying that he was very pleased to see that the students could express themselves fluently in Chinese.

Reale told Xinhua in an email interview on Thursday that the students were "thrilled and encouraged" to receive a personal reply from the leader of the world's most populous nation.

"The students were eager to share their interest in China with President Xi, and his reply to them was very thoughtful and the students were very encouraged to receive it," Reale told Xinhua. "It helped bring China closer to the students."

"This kind of exchange can be very valuable," said Suzanne Jeffrey, a college counselor at the American Overseas School of Rome. "Under the right circumstances, it can help transform a student's interest into lifelong passions."

Alessio Treggiari, one of the eight students, told Italian media that "learning Chinese has helped show us a new world," and he wants to go to graduate school in China after graduating from the university.

Italian media reports said the letter has helped spark interest in greater cultural exchanges, especially among students.