The 2026 World Chinese Language Conference is underway in Beijing from Friday to Sunday, with representatives from more than 160 countries and regions discussing the future of international Chinese language education.
Young people learning Chinese from around the world have also gathered to share their experiences.
Interest in learning Chinese continues to grow worldwide, with 210 million people outside China learning or using the language. For many, curiosity about China is the beginning, and learning Chinese brings them closer to the country.
At this year's World Chinese Language Conference, young people from around the world performed an original musical in Chinese, sharing how the language has shaped their lives.
"I'm very interested in Chinese philosophy. When I first heard about Confucius's ideas, I began to fall in love with this culture," said Mattia Marconi, an Italian student from Beijing Foreign Studies University.
For other learners, the language is a way to deepen their understanding of the country, making the whole process of learning about China easier.
"The reason that I enjoy learning Chinese is because I enjoy learning about China. Learning about China through Chinese makes the whole process easier," said Hernan Perez Mckay, an Irish student from Peking University.
Beyond culture and understanding, Chinese has also become a tool for building a new life and discovering new possibilities.
"Chinese has been not only a language for me, but a tool to start a new life here. Because here I discovered myself totally, you know, a new adult with new hobbies, new interests and new ambitions," said Eliz Stepanyan, an Armenian student from Beijing International Studies University.
That interest can also lead to new opportunities. Today, 92 countries have included Chinese in their national education systems. The language connects people, while also opening access to education, professional skills and new opportunities.
"I saw the opportunities and I saw how China was cooperating with different countries across the world. That's when I thought, 'If I learned Chinese, I could have more opportunities'," said Echoni Moses Sterling, a Ugandan student from Beijing Institute of Technology.
Some learners are already looking ahead, hoping to use their language skills to build bridges between China and their home regions.
"I'm hoping sort of to be a bridge between China and Europe. And I hope to do that through sinology and through all the projects, to be able to connect these two peoples. That would be my goal, my mission," said Benjamin Herman, a Belgian student from Peking University.
Young foreign learners see Chinese as more than language
