Learning Chinese in vogue among Kyrgyzstan's youth

A teacher tutors students on Chinese chess during a break at the Confucius Institute at the Jalal-Abad State University in Manas city, Kyrgyzstan, Sept. 23, 2026. (Xinhua/Jiang Youlin)

Vowing to improve his linguistic proficiency as quickly as possible, Sultanbekov dedicates nearly six hours of a day to studying Chinese.

"In addition to my college studies and courses at the university's Confucius Institute, I review what I learned in class at home, read textbooks to prepare for Chinese language exams, and practice writing Chinese characters," the young man said, who also makes a point of speaking Chinese whenever possible.

Sultanbekov plans to follow in the footsteps of his cousin to pursue further study in Shanghai, and to work in the future as an interpreter.

"An increasing number of Chinese companies are operating in Kyrgyzstan ... This means I'll have a wide range of career options."