New Zealand launches language week to promote Chinese study

New Zealand needs much more Kiwis who are culturally capable of working in a Chinese environment, former Ambassador to China Tony Browne said on Sunday.

"New Zealand is now a country that embraces many culture traditions. We need to know the region that NZ situated, we need to know the country with which we have our largest trading partnership, and we need to know the county that sending millions of tourists to NZ in ten years time," Browne said at the launching ceremony of the New Zealand Chinese Language Week.

From Sept. 12 to 18, varies of Chinese cultural activities will be held in the country. The culture week is aimed at encouraging more Kiwis to try speaking Chinese in an attempt to bridge the cultural and linguistic knowledge gap between China and New Zealand.

Jin Zhijian, the Chinese consul general to Christchurch, echoed with Browne. Jin said the key reason for the Chinese government to promote Chinese language and Chinese culture in New Zealand is to deepen people-to-people mutual understanding and to further the good relationship between the two countries.

There are more than 9,000 students who are studying Chinese in New Zealand South Island. About 200 Chinese culture activities were held in South Island in the past year, attracting thousands and thousands of participants.

Adam Lam, director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Canterbury, told Xinhua that when the institute was established in 2009, only 100 students were studying Chinese at five schools in the South Island.

However, there are one Confucius Institute and eight affiliated Confucius Classrooms involving 67 local schools in the South Island. The number of schools which has Chinese curriculum increased to more than 90.

Four local occupational education institutes in South Island cities, in collaboration the Confucius Institute, also provide students opportunities to learn the Chinese language.

People started to learn Chinese for different reasons. Lam and his colleagues help people in local healthcare agencies to learn Chinese language and traditional Chinese medicine culture, through which local doctors can understand the expectation of local Chinese patients better.

The House of Chambers in Nelson also seeks help from the Confucius Institute to understand Chinese market legislations and even the table manners for Chinese business dinners.

As Ambassador Browne said, New Zealand can't conduct or continue to conduct the largest trading partnership on the bases that Chinese all speak English and the Kiwis do not need to learn anything about China.

"It is not something come to play with. It is commitment and acknowledgment of something that has long term importance for our country."

Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel regarded the Chinese language as "icebreaker" during the launching ceremony on Sunday.

She encouraged people in Christchurch using the language to bring down barriers and show mutual respect with Chinese people.

According to Dalziel, there are a lot of opportunities for people in Christchurch to study Chinese as there are many Chinese students studying in the city and the number is growing all the time.

"There're plenty of opportunities for people to test their skill out," said the mayor.

As to the future of Chinese study in New Zealand, Consul General Jin said students in New Zealand will embrace a new chance to better study the Chinese language.

Under the framework of the Belt and Road initiative, a new scholarship will be established to sponsor students studying in China, which is a good opportunity for young Kiwis to explore China even deeper.

To benefit from that, Jin hopes more and more New Zealanders can join the New Zealand Chinese Language Week and begin their Chinese language learning experience. Endit