Addressing the event, Zhao Fei, minister of China's Embassy in the UK, said Chinese language education has currently been carried out in more than 180 countries and regions, with 82 countries incorporating Chinese into their national educational curriculum. He added that the number of foreign people learning and using Chinese has now exceeded 200 million.
Zhao also revealed that 1,500 UK students who are learning Chinese will visit China this year with the joint support of the Chinese and British sides.
"I hope that you will keep up your interest in learning Chinese and, during the process, gain a deeper understanding of China and become envoys of and contributors to the friendship and cooperation between China and the UK," Zhao said.
