Top college fencers cross swords in Guangzhou

Zhang Qi, vice-president of Sun Yat-sen University, said: "I hope that in the days ahead, young people from China and the United States will sharpen their skills through competition and deepen their understanding through cultural exchange. May this friendship take root here and grow for years to come."

Serge Timacheff, special adviser to the foundation, noted in an interview that some of the students are experienced world-class fencers, while others have never traveled significantly. "So this is a unique experience for them to come to China and experience what that's like," he said.

The camp, which concludes on Friday, was organized by the Ministry of Education's China Center for International People-to-People Exchange and Sun Yat-sen University. The center put together similar events with Tsinghua University in Beijing over the last two years.