Chinese language use growing in Russia

Chinese language use is seeing growth in Russia with airports displaying flight information in Chinese and it also being included in the teaching syllabus for intermediate education, Youth.cn reported on November 15, 2017.

Russia added Chinese language courses to the teaching syllabus for intermediate compulsory education at grade five and above for the first time earlier this month, and plans to develop a unified national examination of Mandarin Chinese.

According to the preliminary plan, year eleven graduates with a basic level of Chinese should be to speak in both formal and informal situations, read different genres of text, write personal letters and fill in forms.

A screen at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow displays flight information in Chinese on November 15, 2017. [Photo: youth.cn]

A local tour guide told reporters that Chinese signs were added at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow this year, assisting both Chinese passengers and local staff, and allowing passenger movement to speed up significantly.

Sheremetyevo International Airport displays Chinese on signs on November 15, 2017. [Photo: youth.cn]

According to a staff member at the airport, a Chinese language phone app for the airport will be released and more Chinese restaurants will be added to the airport in the future.

The increased use of Chinese in Russia shows the influence of China and the deeper relationship between the two countries.

A program from China Global Television Network (CGTN) follows Russian programs on a local TV station in Moscow on November 15, 2017. [Photo: youth.cn]

Russian college student Olga said that Russian youth attach great importance to the development of China and the mutual relationship. She said that more students have signed up for Chinese language courses to benefit from the opportunities provided by the Belt and Road initiative.