Cambodian PM encourages citizens to learn Chinese

Xinhua | 2013-5-30


Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday encouraged citizens to study Chinese language, saying that the language could be used as an official language internationally.

Speaking at the opening of the 2013 Joint Conference of Confucius Institutes in Asia at the Peace Palace, the prime minister urged the Confucius Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia to continue its efforts to encourage more Cambodian people to study the Chinese language.

He said currently, the Asian region, especially China, has become the locomotive of global growth and prosperity.

"China has not only had the most population, but also achieved rapidly economic growth. These factors have been enhancing the importance of the Chinese language in the world," he told the conference.

"I think that knowing Chinese language will not only have friends around the world, but also have opportunity to progress higher."

Hun Sen said Cambodia has broadly opened for its people to study foreign languages and foreign language schools have mushroomed nationwide.

"A lot of schools have provided Chinese language courses including the Confucius Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia and its branches," he said.

Khlot Thyda, president of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said since its establishment in August 2009 to date, the Confucius Institutes at the Royal Academy of Cambodia have provided Chinese language training to more than 6,800 learners.

Besides, there are other 57 Chinese schools in the country teaching Chinese language to more than 40,000 students, according to the Chinese Association in Cambodia.