UN Chinese Language Day celebrated with online event

GENEVA, April 20 (Xinhua) -- A one-hour special event was held online to mark the UN Chinese Language Day on Tuesday, when people around the world were invited to express their passion and interest for the Chinese language and culture through short videos.

The event, organized by the UN Office at Geneva, the Chinese Mission to UN Office at Geneva and the China Media Group, is part of the first "Chinese Language Video Festival," which concluded on Tuesday.

It attracted participants from 27 countries, including the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Japan, with over 340 video submissions.

"Language is the carrier of communication, the bridge of interactions between states and the bond of mutual learning among civilizations," said Ambassador Chen Xu, Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

According to him, as more and more foreign friends start to learn Chinese and experience Chinese culture, the world will have a better understanding of China and its rich history, its friendly and hard-working people, as well as its development through innovation, and its openness and inclusiveness.

Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of the United Nations at Geneva, said at Tuesday's event that as the most widely spoken language in the world, the Chinese language is an ample repository of Chinese wisdom, culture and traditions, as well as "the greatest contributors to our common cultural heritage."

Valovaya stressed the importance of multilingualism as a cornerstone of effective multilateralism, saying that China is a vital partner for the UN, especially as the world continues to face wide-ranging challenges triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The date for the UN Chinese Language Day was selected to coincide with Guyu, literally meaning "Grain Rain," the sixth of the 24 solar terms in the traditional Chinese lunar calendar.