An Irish education official said recently that Chinese will be added to the list of languages covered under the country’s national exams by 2020 and it will be included as a subject in the college entrance exam in 2022, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Mary Mitchell O’Connor, Ireland’s minister of higher education, said the list is based on a program launched in 2014, a short 100-hour course on Chinese language and culture. The education minister made the announcement at a joint conference of Confucius Institutes of Ireland and Britain.

O’Connor said the Irish government is fully aware of the importance of creating the opportunity to learn Chinese for its students, especially against the backdrop of economic globalization and deepening China-Ireland trade ties.

An increasing number of Irish people have become interested in learning Chinese, and the number of Irish students coming to study in China is also expanding, O’Connor said, adding that educational cooperation between the two countries is growing well.