LUSAKA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The Confucius Institute at the University of Zambia (UNZA) held celebrations on Wednesday to mark the 2025 International Chinese Language Day.

The event was attended by Wang Sheng, minister counselor at the Chinese embassy, and other embassy staff, staff from the UNZA led by Vice-Chancellor Mundia Muya, as well as officials and students from the Confucius Institute and other schools where the Chinese language was being taught.

Celebrated under the theme "Chinese Language: A Gift Across Time and Space," the event offered rich Chinese cultural experiences, featuring dance, songs, kung fu, Chinese calligraphy, and other performances given by students from the Confucius Institute.

The event also coincided with the 15th anniversary since the opening of the Confucius Institute in Zambia.

In remarks delivered at the event, Wang said the Chinese language has served as a bridge for dialogue and exchanges among civilizations.

He said that the event's theme was not only a tribute to the time-honored language but also a celebration of the cultural and educational bonds that united China and Zambia in their joint journey forward, as well as a vision for mutual learning between the two civilizations in a shared future.

The global popularity of the Chinese language has continued to rise, with more than 190 countries and regions introducing Chinese language education into their national education systems, Wang said.

"The growing popularity of international Chinese language education highlights the need for openness and inclusiveness, the value of mutual learning and cultural exchanges, and embodies the spirit of win-win cooperation," he said.

More people from around the world are beginning to understand and appreciate China through the Chinese language, Wang said.

He commended the Confucius Institute for its 15 years of existence in Zambia, saying it has trained more than 20,000 local Chinese language talents, some of whom are working as professional translators for Chinese companies in Zambia.

At agricultural and mining workshops, Chinese and Zambian engineers or technicians now use the Chinese language to tackle technical challenges, renewing the story of enduring China-Zambia friendship, Wang said.

China, he added, stands ready to work with Zambia to promote Chinese language education and make it a driving force for stronger friendship and greater consensus.

He said China will strengthen dialogue and coordination with Zambia in international affairs to jointly uphold multilateralism, global peace, and development.

China will build more "Chinese Plus" platforms with Zambia to deepen cooperation in science, technology, trade, and culture for the benefit of the people of the two countries, Wang said.

On his part, Muya, the UNZA vice-chancellor, said the huge number of people speaking the Chinese language both within and outside China is an indication that the language is one of the biggest languages in the world.

Language is not just a medium of communication but also a resource through which economic, political, and technological aspirations of any society could be conceived, commodified, and disseminated to a wider community, he said.

The relationship between China and Zambia, which started as political and economic solidarity, is being extended to embracing cultural friendship through education and people-to-people exchanges, Muya said.

He said the UNZA is committed to supporting the Confucius Institute and the teaching of the Chinese language in Zambia.

The model adopted by the Confucius Institute of opening teaching centers across the country for teaching the Chinese language has allowed more people to learn the language, Muya said.

He commended the Confucius Institute for linking students to various Chinese companies operating in Zambia through annual job fairs.

Ian Bwalya, a fourth-year student of the Chinese language at the Confucius Institute, said learning the Chinese language has allowed him to learn more about the Chinese culture.

Learning the Chinese language has provided him with a smooth career path as more Chinese companies operating in Zambia are looking for translators while the Confucius Institute also needs more teachers of Chinese language, he said.