A woman performs traditional Chinese dance during the UN Chinese Language Day celebration in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, April 18, 2024. The United Nations family in Ethiopia marked UN Chinese Language Day on Thursday with the aim of promoting Chinese language and culture, calling for linguistic and cultural diversity.(Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)
ADDIS ABABA, April 19 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations family in Ethiopia marked UN Chinese Language Day on Thursday with the aim of promoting Chinese language and culture, calling for linguistic and cultural diversity.
The annual Chinese language commemoration event, co-hosted by the Chinese Mission to the African Union (AU), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), and the Liaison Office of UNESCO with AU and UNECA, was held on Thursday inside the UNECA Conference Center in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa.
Oliver Chinganya, director of the African Center for Statistics at the UNECA, said that the annual UN Chinese Language Day celebrates multilingualism and cultural diversity, and promotes linguistic equity within the UN system. "We are gathered here today to celebrate Chinese Language Day, which is intended to bring peoples closer, promote international cooperation, and support multilateralism in international relations," Chinganya said.
The celebration event serves as an important platform to acknowledge the contribution of Chinese to the achievement of the UN's objectives, he said.
The Chinese language is one of the six working languages of the UN, along with English, French, Russian, Arabic and Spanish. This year's celebration event featured various activities and presentations promoting the Chinese language and culture, including traditional Chinese dance, Tai Chi performances and Chinese music performances by a group of UNECA staff. Members of the Chinese medical team in Ethiopia also demonstrated traditional Chinese medicine, including acupuncture and cupping, to the UN family in Ethiopia.
Hu Changchun, head of the Chinese mission to the AU, said that as one of the six working languages of the UN, Chinese is not only one of the oldest languages but also the language spoken by the largest population in the world. The use of the Chinese language has ensured the effective work of the UN and has promoted cultural and people-to-people exchanges between China and countries around the world, he added.
Hu said that the Chinese language is attracting an increasing number of global learners, and China has supported Chinese teaching in over 190 countries through various cooperation projects to meet the growing demand for Chinese learning worldwide.
More than 30 million people are learning Chinese outside China, and over 70 Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms have been established across 47 African countries, the envoy said.
The UN family in Ethiopia commemorates this day annually in accordance with the UN's decision to designate April 20 as Chinese Language Day in 2010. The date was specifically chosen to honor Cangjie, a mythical figure in China credited with the invention of Chinese characters.
Rita Bissoonauth, director of the Liaison Office of UNESCO with AU and UNECA, said during the occasion that the Chinese language serves as a bridge connecting generations, cultures and civilizations.
"The day celebrates the richness, beauty, and significance of the Chinese language by reflecting on the profound impact that Chinese has had on the world both historically and in the present day," Bissoonauth said. ■
Rita Bissoonauth, director of the Liaison Office of UNESCO with the African Union (AU) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), speaks during the UN Chinese Language Day celebration in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, April 18, 2024. The United Nations family in Ethiopia marked UN Chinese Language Day on Thursday with the aim of promoting Chinese language and culture, calling for linguistic and cultural diversity.
(Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)
Oliver Chinganya, director of the African Center for Statistics at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), speaks during the UN Chinese Language Day celebration in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, April 18, 2024. The United Nations family in Ethiopia marked UN Chinese Language Day on Thursday with the aim of promoting Chinese language and culture, calling for linguistic and cultural diversity.
(Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)
People dance during the UN Chinese Language Day celebration in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, April 18, 2024. The United Nations family in Ethiopia marked UN Chinese Language Day on Thursday with the aim of promoting Chinese language and culture, calling for linguistic and cultural diversity.
(Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)