Rabat – The Chinese Bridge competition’s final phase took place on June 14 at Mohammed V University in Rabat to celebrate Chinese studies and bilateral cultural exchange in Morocco.
This was part of an international competition that brought together competitors celebrating cultural exchange. The winner of the international Chinese language proficiency competition for foreign students earns a scholarship to study in China. This is part of an effort to connect friendship across nations.
This event was the final of a national competition marked by the participation of Moroccan university students from three universities. The universities that participated in the competition were Hassan II University in Casablanca, Mohammed V University in Rabat, and Abdelmalek Essaadi University in Tangier. The first part of the competition was based on Mandarin speaking, writing, and listening.
Twelve participants took part in the grand final competition, with the first half of the event being a speaking test and the second half taking place as activities associated with Chinese culture.
The winner of the Special Prize went to Yasmine El Mezouari El Galoui, who participated by performing traditional calligraphy and a tea ceremony. El Galoui will likely go to China on a six-month internship and represent Morocco in China. The first prize recipient was Najlaa Maouzi.
All of the twelve participants were then presented with certificates of achievement in excellence.
The other cultural activities that were displayed at this event included Chinese calligraphy, traditional painting, dancing, singing, drumming, as well as Kung-Fu and other martial arts. Each of the twelve participants performed one activity in combination with films produced with traditional artwork, most composed of natural designs.
The Moroccan Government, the Chinese Embassy in Rabat, organized the event in collaboration with two Chinese universities, the East China Normal University in Shanghai and the Beijing Language and Cultural University
The Chinese Ambassador to Morocco, Li Changlin, was in attendance and gave a speech at the end of the event to emphasize the importance of academic and cultural exchanges to build relations between the two nations.
In a statement to Morocco World News (MWN), the Chinese ambassador stressed that China attaches great importance to the competition, noting that the contest took place in a favorable context amid the development of bilateral ties between Morocco and China.
“As you know, I also said in my speech, there is a dynamic in Sino-Moroccan cooperation. We have a very interesting cultural exchange. We have a very interesting cultural exchange,” he told MWN.
This event comes during a period when the two countries have strengthened their bilateral relations, and the final was held under the banner “One World, One Family”. It was also described as the Chinese Bridge, bringing the two nations together.
This event also signifies the current dynamics of Moroccan-Chinese bilateral relations centred on the Belt and Road Initiative. This initiative is a large-scale connectivity project with a number of large-scale investments China has made to strengthen its diplomatic position. This was a great and successful event to be able to expand Chinese relations and cultural horizons with nations across Africa and the rest of the world.
