On Feb.13, a beginner Mandarin class was officially launched by Nepal's Ministry of Education, in a bid to strengthen education exchange between Nepal and China, according to Xinhua.

Over 20 Nepalese education officials have attended the class. Each official is entitled to 80 hours of class time. So far, officials in the Foreign Ministry, departments of culture, tourism and civil aviation, and top military positions can avail themselves of the opportunity to learn Mandarin, according to Wang Shengli, Chinese dean of the Confucius Institute at Kathmandu University.

The Nepalese are increasingly keen to learn Mandarin and study Chinese culture, as the friendship between the two countries has deepened, according to Chinese ambassador to Nepal Yu Hong.

"Nepal has a lot to learn from China in sectors including technology, education, culture, trade and tourism. Learning about these areas is possible only through [shared] language, so we feel it's necessary to train our officials for the transfer of knowledge and technology," stated the joint secretary of the Ministry of Education.

In Nepal, the Confucius Institute at Kathmandu University has trained over 20,000 Nepalese citizens since its establishment in June 2007. It is regarded as the best base for the promotion of Chinese culture and language in the Himalayan country.