On March 29, 2014 local time, President Xi Jinping visited in Berlin the Chinese youth football players being trained in Germany.

It was a bright and beautiful spring day, and the grass resembled a green carpet. In the morning of March 29 local time, Xi Jinping came to the football field of the Olympic Stadium of Berlin. There were 20 Chinese youth football players from Zhidan County in China's Shaanxi Province who were receiving joint training with the youth players from the VfL Wolfsburg Football Club under the guidance of the German coaches.

Xi Jinping took his seat at the bleachers. The friendship football match began. Xi Jinping watched the match while listening to the briefing. On the field, young players were very active, running around, engaged in fierce offense and defense. They were very serious in every gesture and motion. Xi Jinping led a round of applause and nodded to them.

At the halftime break of the match, Xi Jinping came up to the youth players and asked about their training and living there. Youth players excitedly told of their enthusiasm for football and what they have gained from the training in Germany. Xi Jinping told them, through the training in Germany this time, I hope you will play a leading role in China's youth football. I also hope more young people will devote themselves to China's football. I have confidence in you and in your generation. I hope you will become outstanding football players in the future.

Xi Jinping also expressed his hope to the officials of the Chinese Football Association and the German Football Association on the spot that the two countries could strengthen football exchanges.

Peng Liyuan, Wang Huning, Li Zhanshu, Yang Jiechi and others were present.

The Zhidan Youth Football Team coming to Germany for training was part of the Rainbow Bridge program, which is a public welfare program of the non-governmental diplomacy by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and sponsored by the Volkswagen Group. The program is intended to support physical and vocational education in former revolutionary base areas in China.