Chinese Bridge Club launched in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Ouyang Yujing (3rd L) attends the launching ceremony of the Chinese Bridge Club in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 17, 2022. Malaysia and China on Tuesday celebrated the launch of the Chinese Bridge Club, a Chinese language club, in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur to forge stronger links built on peace, friendship and culture. (Photo by Chong Voon Chung/Xinhua)

KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia and China on Tuesday celebrated the launch of the Chinese Bridge Club, a Chinese language club, in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur to forge stronger links built on peace, friendship and culture.

The ceremony, held at the China Culture Center here, marks another important milestone in strengthening the close people-to-people ties between the two countries and will pave the way for better understanding and appreciation of the Chinese language among Malaysians.

Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Ouyang Yujing said in his speech that the establishment of the club demonstrates the friendship between the two countries and illustrates the mutual understanding and mutual learning between the two sides through mutual exchanges.

Noting the high demand for learning the Chinese language, Ouyang said the club will help satisfy the thirst for learning the language and ultimately facilitate better integration between China and the global community.

"The world today is moving toward greater multi-polarity, economic globalization and cultural diversity, and is becoming increasingly information-oriented. Countries are increasingly interconnected with more exchanges and cooperation in political, economic, trade and cultural areas," he said.

"China is committed to further opening up, and its integration into the world has created development opportunities for other countries. More people come to China for business cooperation, study and tourism."

In her opening remarks at the launch, club chairman Tai Hsiao Hua said language is key to a civilization's survival, and communication is the cornerstone of a civilization's development, and the process of civilization can only be developed through multilateral exchanges, and moving forward together through mutual learning.

"I hope that the club can become a place for Malaysians to learn the Chinese language and culture, a center for young people of all ethnic groups to learn from and to understand one another, and also a door to pragmatic cultural and educational exchanges between Malaysia and China," she said.

President of China-ASEAN Business Association Lim Gait Tong said the club would complement the efforts of the business community by enabling greater cultural exchanges which in turn would promote greater economic, trade, investment and other exchanges throughout Malaysia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

"I hope that under this 'strong alliance' platform, we will continue to expand the promotion of cultural exchanges, from Malaysia and China, to China and ASEAN," he said.

Initiated in 2002, the Chinese Bridge international language contest aims at boosting the youth's understanding of and communication with the Chinese language and culture. It has attracted students from over 150 countries.