International: On April 16 (Thursday), Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun addressed questions from journalists at a regular press briefing. Responding to a query, he noted that global interest in the Chinese language is on the rise, and Beijing welcomes more foreigners to learn it.

Marking the 17th UN Chinese Language Day, the United Nations headquarters and cultural institutions worldwide are hosting a variety of celebratory events. A growing trend on social media themed “becoming Chinese” has further fueled global interest in the language, the spokesperson said in response to a related question.

Guo also noted that this year marks the 80th anniversary of Chinese being designated as an official language of the United Nations. To commemorate the occasion, Chinese diplomatic missions abroad, along with the UN Secretariat, have organized a series of events in New York, Geneva, Vienna, and other locations. As one of the world’s oldest languages, Chinese has spread across continents over centuries, embodying Eastern philosophies such as “harmony in diversity” and “peaceful coexistence,” while bearing witness to more than 80 years of the UN’s pursuit of peace.

“Language is a vehicle of civilization,” the spokesperson said, adding that every civilization is a shared asset of humanity and deserves to be preserved and cherished.

He further remarked that the growing interest in the Chinese language is evident even at the Foreign Ministry’s press briefings, where more foreign journalists are now asking questions in fluent Chinese. “We welcome more international friends to learn Chinese as a way to better understand contemporary China and explore Chinese civilization,” he added.

Source: Swarna-Touhid-Lily, China Media Group.