Saudis look to Chinese as ‘language of the future’

MAKKAH: The Saudi and Chinese education ministries recently signed an agreement to provide Saudis with Chinese language learning material along with Chinese instructors to teach the language and literature in public educational institutions.

The memorandum of understanding included the training of Saudi teachers in the Chinese language and teaching methods, as well as introducing them to Chinese culture in all educational institutions.

“Everyone is well aware of the international trend for learning the Chinese language, even in developed countries where politicians are proud of their sons and daughters speaking Chinese,” said Mohammed Asiri, assistant professor of international commercial law at King Abdulaziz University.

“Chinese will become a language of great impact in the future. In fact, the decision taken by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2019 about including the Chinese language in the educational curricula emphasizes the importance of the language,” he said.

Asiri, who holds a Ph.D. from the China University of Political Science and Law, told Arab News that learning the language will strengthen relations, as well as economic and trade cooperation, between both countries.

“The Kingdom is China’s largest trading partner in West Asia and Africa, while China is the largest importer of Saudi oil. The Kingdom has lately witnessed a large influx of Chinese investment companies, which consider the Kingdom a promising environment according to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. Therefore, learning Chinese opens wider doors to cooperate with these companies, and enhances both countries’ knowledge and cultural communication,” he said.

“The Kingdom has invested in its people, sending them to China to learn Chinese and specialize in various fields. It is now time to benefit from these cadres, and transfer their expertise and experiences, as well as to build a national strategy aiming to teach Chinese according to the latest world technologies and in compliance with the Saudi identity and culture to facilitate the educational process and achieve the best results.”

Bowen Li, a Chinese instructor at King Abdulaziz University, told Arab News that Chinese is one of the six official working languages of the UN and is spoken by about 20 percent of the world’s population.

“More and more students are learning Chinese. As President Xi Jinping says, language is the best key to understanding a country. By learning Chinese and participating in the “Chinese Bridge” program, students can learn about the rich, colorful and comprehensive China,” he said.

Bowen said that Chinese is the best key to understanding China.

“Once you can speak Chinese well, you can understand the history and culture of China. Once students master Chinese, they can have the chance to learn specific Chinese. For example, they can learn either Chinese and tourism or Chinese and technology. In such a way, students can become a compound talent, then apply the acquired knowledge to their work.”

Abeer Al-Ghamdi, a Chinese language student at King Abdulaziz University, said that she is interested in learning many languages, but chose to study Chinese since it is the most widespread language worldwide.

“I believe it will become the main language of the world in the future,” she said.

She said that China has the second-largest economy in the world and significantly influences the development of the global economy. Learning the Chinese language and cooperating with the Chinese economy will create infinite job opportunities in translation, education and tourism, Al-Ghamdi said.

“Learning Chinese will increase your chances not only of getting a job, but also completing your undergraduate degree at any university in China. This is a dream come true for me. Furthermore, we can get to know China, and learn about its historic culture and civilization while sharing ours with them.

“I believe that learning Chinese is a bridge to communicate and exchange knowledge, as it has a major role in enhancing friendships and increasing trade and culture cooperation between China and the Kingdom.”