Press releases

MINSK, 6 July (BelTA) - Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China to Belarus Cui Qiming presented the awards to best Belarusian students and students studying the Chinese language on 6 July, BelTA has learned.

The awards ceremony was attended by Belarus’ First Deputy Education Minister Irina Starovoitova, representatives of Belarusian State University, Minsk State Linguistic University, gymnasiums and schools teaching the Chinese language.

Presenting the awards to the talented students and schoolchildren, Ambassador Cui Qiming noted: “This is the third time the Chinese Embassy in the Republic of Belarus has presented the awards. In 2016 fifteen students of higher and secondary educational establishments received this award. In 2017 there were 30 people. The Chinese Ambassador Award instituted as part of the Belt and Road initiative is aimed at drumming up the interest of Belarusian students in the Chinese language. I hope that more students will start studying the Chinese in Belarus.”

According to him, recently more Belarusian and Chinese universities have established friendly relations, more centers teaching the Chinese and Belarusian languages have been set up. With the establishment of the competition in the Chinese language in Belarus and with making the Chinese language a secondary-school examination subject, the interest of students in Chinese has increased in Belarus.

Ambassador Cui Qiming stressed that a qualification event among students for the international Chinese Bridge competition was held in Belarus in May this year. Belarusian students showed successes in the international competition in China while competing with students and schoolchildren from around the world.

This year, in accordance with the Belarusian-Chinese agreements in education, several groups of Belarusian pupils have gone to China for summer holidays and Chinese schoolchildren to Belarus. “It is clear that more and more Belarusian students are showing interest in the Chinese language and culture. I hope that Belarusian students and pupils will continue to learn Chinese and thereby strengthen the friendship between young people, contribute to the Belarusian-Chinese friendship,” the ambassador noted.

Irina Starovoitova, in turn, noted that it is good that more Belarusian young people study the Chinese language and culture, which contributes to the rapprochement of the peoples of the two countries. The award aims to promote the Chinese language and culture, to encourage more people to study the language.