United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday called for de-escalation in the Middle East and Ukraine.
He made the appeal at a press conference ahead of this year's high-level week of the UN General Assembly.
"At this crucial moment in the Middle East, de-escalation must be priority one, priority two and priority three," said Guterres. "All parties must cease any actions that harm civilians and ensure that humanitarian operations can proceed safely and without obstruction."
"Navigational rights and freedoms in and around the straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab must be fully restored and respected by all, in accordance with international law," he added.
"The only path forward is de-escalation, diplomacy and dialogue," he said.
Regarding persisting conflicts in Gaza, Guterres reiterated the importance of the full implementation of the two-state solution.
"The peace plan for Gaza must be fully implemented with unrestricted humanitarian aid. And the creeping annexation of the West Bank must stop. There will be no peace in the Middle East without realizing the two-state solution," he said.
On the Ukraine conflict, he said that it is time for an immediate ceasefire as a first step toward a just, lasting and comprehensive peace, in line with the UN Charter, international law and relevant UN resolutions.
The conflict is in its fifth year, with immense civilian suffering, cascading global consequences, and no end in sight, he noted.
UN chief calls for de-escalation in Mideast, Ukraine
The annual number of global candidates taking the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK), or the Chinese Proficiency Test, surged to a record high of one million in 2026, according to the 2026 World Chinese Language Conference, which kicked off on Friday in Beijing.
The HSK now has more than 1,500 test sites in 169 countries -- more countries than any other language exam -- and has served over nine million test-takers cumulatively.
The global scale of Chinese learning keeps expanding, with 210 million people overseas learning and using the language.
"Our adult classes at our office in New York really exploded over the last couple of years, and the explosion has gone from not just beginners and first-time Mandarin students to more like HSK 5, HSK 6 and beyond students who are looking for that next level. Then they go on to more -- maybe private tutoring -- and [ask], 'How do I do this specific sector?' We're actually seeing that increased a lot as well," said Jamie Keyte, co-founder of Manhattan Mandarin, a Chinese learning center in Manhattan, New York.
"Language will certainly bring you many benefits. You can make friends in Chinese. Many countries want to cooperate with China, and you can help them better understand Chinese culture," said Graciela Barrantes, a Costa Rican student at the Beijing Normal University.
As demand for Chinese learning diversifies, how Chinese language education can be combined with vocational skills training has become a hot topic at this year's World Chinese Language Conference. During the event, the Chinese Education Ministry's Center for Language Education and Cooperation, together with multiple institutions, launched the "Chinese+" industry-education integration partnership initiative, aimed at helping other countries and regions cultivate local talent skilled in both Chinese language and culture and professional expertise.
Chinese language proficiency test hits annual record of 1 million
