The 24th Chinese Bridge - Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students concluded its finals in South Africa and Zambia on Friday, with dozens of local students winning from fierce competition involving Chinese language tests, speeches, and various talent performances.
Under the theme "One World, One Family," the South African final in Cape Town brought together 15 standout students from various universities, each selected through multiple rounds of competition. They shared their experiences of learning Chinese in the language itself, vividly showcasing the crucial role of Chinese language in fostering cross-cultural communication.
Thakane Masia from Rhodes University claimed the championship after intense competition in the Chinese written test, themed speech, and talent showcase.
"This year, everyone prepared really hard. The performances and speeches were all amazing, so I'm truly proud to be number one," Masia said.
The event also included an activity to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival, where students made five-color silk threads and scented sachets and ate zongzi, providing them with a deeper insight into Chinese culture and traditions.
Meanwhile, at the Confucius Institute at the University of Zambia in Lusaka, there were the Zambian finals of the 24th "Chinese Bridge" and the 18th edition for Foreign Secondary School Students.
The two finals turned out 10 university students and nine secondary school students, who demonstrated their Chinese language proficiency and cultural knowledge through poetry recitations and performances of Chinese pop songs.
After fierce competition, Rabecca Daka from the University of Zambia and Mubanga Museba from Kasama Girls' Secondary School won first prizes in their respective categories.
"Chinese is not just a language; it's like a bridge between two or more people or between countries," Daka said.
Chinese language proficiency competition finals in South African, Zambian conclude
From cutting-edge technology exhibitions to retail stores thousands of kilometers away from Europe and Southeast Asia, China-made robot vacuum cleaners are increasingly becoming a popular choice among consumers worldwide.
At electronics retailers in Berlin, Germany, Chinese brands such as Roborock and Dreame occupy prominent positions in dedicated robot vacuum sections, offering a wide range of products priced between 200 and 2,000 euros.
Many local consumers said that when purchasing smart home appliances including robot vacuum cleaners, they tend to give priority to Chinese-made products.
"It's a good price and good quality. It's also the innovation. I have a feeling that the European brands are not innovating enough," said one customer.
"I think they're always on top of the other technologies. They are getting them out faster. A lot of us are switching to the Chinese technology," another consumer said.
Germany is one of the most important overseas markets for China's floor-cleaning robots.
According to data from market research firm GfK, from January to November 2025, more than six out of 10 robot vacuum cleaners sold in Western Europe were Chinese brands.
Industry data also point to a strong global momentum.
According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), global shipments of smart robot vacuum cleaners reached 17.424 million units in the first three quarters of 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 18.7 percent.
Chinese brands including Roborock, Ecovacs, Dreame, Xiaomi and Narwal ranked among the world's top five in terms of shipment volume, with a combined share of nearly 70 percent of the global market.
At a robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing plant in Huizhou, south China's Guangdong Province, workers were seen stepping up production of newly launched models that recently debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show in the United States, which concluded Friday in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The factory adjusted its production lines as early as December 2025 and stocked inventory in advance for overseas markets to ensure that new products could be delivered to global consumers at the earliest possible time.
"In 2025, Roborock's global shipments exceeded 7.2 million units. Since 2024, overseas revenue has accounted for more than 50 percent of our total revenue. Our products have now been sold to more than 170 countries and regions, serving more than 20 million households worldwide," said Quan Gang, president of Roborock.
At another robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing facility in Dongguan, Guangdong, rising overseas orders have prompted the company to upgrade its production lines with intelligent technologies to further boost capacity. The factory is currently operating at full load to meet a growing demand.
"For 2026, we have already obtained overseas orders worth at least 300 million to 400 million yuan (around 43 million to 57.3 million U.S. dollars). In addition, we've engaged in strategic cooperation with European home appliance group Cebos Group, and our total confirmed orders have exceeded 600 million yuan (around 86 million U.S. dollars)," said Zhang Junbin, founder and CEO of Narwal Robotics.
Chinese robot vacuum brands gain strong global traction
