This April 20th marks the 15th “United Nations Chinese Language Day” and the 5th “International Chinese Language Day” themed on “Chinese Language: Connecting Cultures through the Bridge of Mutual Learning”. On this occasion, I would like to extend my warm congratulations and best wishes to Chinese learners in Ethiopia and across the world.
The establishment of the Chinese Language Days epitomizes the popularity and attraction of Chinese traditional culture. In 2010 when the UN launched the Language Day Initiative to maintain the equal use of its six official languages and cultural diversity, the organization decided to set up UN Chinese Language Day on April 20th, the day of Grain Rain—one of the 24 Chinese solar terms—to commemorate the contributions of Cang Jie, ancestor of Chinese characters. It is a day to promote the international application of Chinese language, showcase the charm of Chinese culture, and further enhance communication and mutual understanding. Based on the UN Chinese Language Day, the first International Chinese Language Day was celebrated on April 20th, 2020. Since then, more than 180 countries and regions have been celebrating the event every year, which strengthens communication and exchanges among different peoples and civilizations.
Chinese language, as an important carrier of Chinese time-honored civilization, bears the concept of peace, harmony, openness, coexistence, inclusiveness and shared destiny. Its appeal gets the Chinese language community larger and larger. As of 2022, more than 30 million people have been learning Chinese in more than 80,000 schools and training institutes in 180 countries and regions. Chinese language has been part of 81 countries’ national education systems. Thanks to the language with the most speakers worldwide, information can reach more people and be better received around the world.
The popularity of Chinese learning contributes to the removing of cultural barriers and the enhancing of mutual understanding in an era when changes of the world, of our times, and of historical significance are unfolding like never before. We feel more than ever that mankind share the weal and woe in a community with a shared future. At the Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs held last year in Beijing, it was pointed out that China has advocated the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, pointing the right direction for human society leading to common development, lasting peace and security, and mutual learning between civilizations. President Xi Jinping also proposed the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), providing an important direction for advancing inter-civilizational exchanges and mutual learning, and promoting the progress of human civilization.
Ethiopia is a showcase of cultural diversity where different cultures enrich and inspire one another. In his remarks at the 44th session of the African Union Executive Council this year, His Excellency Foreign Minister Taye Atske Selassie proposed the inclusion of Amharic as the official language of the AU. His proposal reflects that our Ethiopian brothers and sisters share the pride with Chinese people in our respective cultures. China will, as always, join hands with Ethiopia to inject new impetus to cultural exchanges and communication to realize harmonious coexistence between different civilizations in pursuit of world peace, common development and a brighter future—a vision of the GCI.
A golden example is the mutual learning of languages of our two countries. Chinese is taught in two Confucius Institutes in Ethiopia and Amharic Language and Literature has become a major in a Chinese university. This forges closer people-to-people ties and strengthens mutual understanding. Both languages are spoken by great peoples, carry profound wisdom and civilization, and play an increasingly significant role in developing our all-weather strategic partnership. To usher in an even more promising future of common development and prosperity, we need not only bricks, steel and concrete, but also empathy, friendship and mutual understanding.
Therefore, apart from mutual learning of languages, more and more cooperation projects in education, training, and people-to-people exchanges are expected. To this end, both China and Ethiopia should give a full play to BRICS, FOCAC and other cooperation frameworks.
As a Chinese saying goes, “a single flower does not make spring, while one hundred flowers in full blossom bring spring to the garden.” I am fully confident that China and Ethiopia can work together to promote cultural diversity and make the GCI deliver for each and everyone. Let us embrace a more culturally colorful world!
The author is Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of The People’s Republic of China to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
BY ZHAO ZHIYUAN
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 20 APRIL 2024
