BRUSSELS, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The 17th "Chinese Bridge" Competition, a contest for foreign students on their Chinese proficiency, was held on Saturday at the China Cultural Center in Brussels.
Under the theme of "The World Under One", this year's competition reflects China's pursuit of peace, love and harmony, said Zhang Chi, charge d'affaire of the Chinese Embassy in Belgium.
"Advocating a harmonious traditional culture echoes the requirements of the idea of building a community of human destiny," said the Chinese diplomat.
Zhang hopes that the contestants can use their language advantages to build a new bridge between the peoples of China and Belgium.
Altogether nine contestants entered the final competition, which was divided into three parts: keynote speeches, talent shows and Chinese cultural quiz.
Sara Correia, student of the Institute of Translation/Interpretation (ISTI) at the Free University of Brussels took the first prize.
Chinese learning is gaining popularity in Belgium. Apart from six Confucius Institutes in Belgium, over 50 primary and secondary schools as well as 40 adult education centers are providing Chinese language and culture courses in addition to university courses in Chinese.
Launched in 2002, the "Chinese Bridge" has become a well-known cultural and educational exchanges platform for Chinese learners world wide.
