Kenya holds Chinese language proficiency contest for high school students

NAIROBI, June 5 (Xinhua) -- The Kenya finals of the 17th "Chinese-Bridge" Chinese proficiency competition for foreign high school students was held Wednesday in Kenyatta University, Kenya's second-oldest public university, attracting 16 contestants.

The competition, which focused on speech and talent shows, was hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Kenya and Kenyatta University's Confucius Institute, and supported by several corporate sponsors.

Diplomats, industry executives and students attended the half-day event that showcased the contestants' spoken Chinese language prowess as well as their talent in neoclassical music, dance, martial arts and calligraphy.

Waceke Wanjohi, acting vice-chancellor of Kenyatta University, said the contest, which attracted high school students countrywide, reaffirmed the strength of Kenya-China cultural ties.

"We have seen the benefit of the Chinese language to our young scholars," she said. "The Chinese language has broken barriers, improved our cooperation and friendship with China."

Wanjohi said that proficiency in the Chinese language will help Kenyan youth work in a globalized environment while placing them at the center of efforts to strengthen economic and cultural ties with the Asian nation.

Tang Jianjun, cultural counselor of the Chinese embassy in Kenya, said that the Chinese language, which is spoken by more than 1.7 billion people globally and is one of the six working languages of the United Nations, has gained traction in Kenya, cementing bonds of friendship.

"The Kenyan and Chinese governments are accelerating the construction of a closer China-Kenya community with a shared future, and Chinese language learning plays an irreplaceable role in building this community," Tang said.

Miriam Wambui, a junior high school student at a private school located on the outskirts of Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, emerged as the overall winner of the competition, themed "Fly High with Chinese."

The 14-year-old electrified the audience with a dance performance. She will represent Kenya at the global finals later this year in China.