Ashraf AboArafe reports
For the second time in May 2025, the Chinese Embassy in Cairo organized the global “Chinese Bridge” language competition for school and university students, concluding with the successful finals of the 24th Egyptian round of the “Chinese Bridge” competition for university students.
On May 17, the Egyptian finals and awards ceremony of the 24th “Chinese Bridge” Global Chinese Proficiency Competition for University Students, titled the “Jushi Cup – Chinese Bridge,” took place in Cairo. The event was organized by the Chinese Bridge Club in Cairo under the supervision of the Chinese Embassy in Egypt.
The ceremony was attended by over 300 guests, including Mr. Lu Chongxing, Minister Counselor at the Chinese Embassy, Mr. Liu Jiancheng, Deputy Director of the Center for Language Education and Cooperation at China’s Ministry of Education, Dr. Nasser Abdel Aal Abdel Fattah, President of the Association of Egyptian Scholars in China, Mr. Xin Jianqiang, Deputy Director of Xinhua’s Middle East Bureau, Ms. Zhu Yanhe, Director of the Chinese Bridge Club in Cairo, and Mr. Ma Xinyao, General Manager of Jushi Glass Company in Egypt.
Also present were Chinese and Egyptian directors of Confucius Institutes and Classrooms at Egyptian universities, heads of Chinese language departments, participating students, Chinese language teachers, and a large number of media representatives from both Egypt and China.
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In her welcoming remarks, Ms. Zhu Yanhe praised the enthusiasm of the participants, expressing hope that Chinese-language learners in Egypt would use the language as a bridge to explore the world, overcome cultural barriers, and contribute to the longstanding friendship between China and Egypt. Mr. Ma Xinyao reaffirmed Jushi Glass’s commitment to supporting more Egyptian youth in learning Chinese, enabling them to explore Chinese technological innovation and strengthening Sino-Egyptian ties through language and cultural exchange.
During the awards ceremony, Mr. Liu Jiancheng highlighted that since the first Chinese Bridge competition held in Egypt in 2002, 43 outstanding Egyptian students have traveled to China to participate in the global finals. Thousands of young Egyptians have embarked on their journey across the “Chinese Bridge,” learning the language, approaching Chinese culture, and witnessing China’s development, openness, and stability firsthand. Mr. Liu encouraged more Egyptian youth to visit China and play a vital role in deepening cultural exchanges and mutual understanding between the two nations, contributing to building a shared future for humanity.
This year’s competition attracted 30 participants from 24 Egyptian universities. Contestants showcased their confident language skills and cultural knowledge, reflecting a strong passion for the Chinese language and culture. In the end, student XX from XX University and student XX from XX University won the Excellence Award and First Prize, while students XX and XX took Second and Third Place, respectively.
Currently, Egypt is home to 32 Chinese language departments across 30 universities’ faculties of arts and languages. Additionally, 21 public schools now offer Chinese as an optional second language, further strengthening educational and cultural ties between the two nations.
