A contestant takes part in the 17th "Chinese Bridge" language proficiency competition in Prague, the Czech Republic, on May 17, 2024. Czech national qualifications for the 17th "Chinese Bridge," the Chinese language proficiency competition for foreign secondary school students, were held here on Friday. (Xinhua/Deng Yaomin)

Czech national qualifications for the 17th "Chinese Bridge," the Chinese language proficiency competition for foreign secondary school students, were held here on Friday.

Hosted by the Chinese Embassy in the Czech Republic, the competition consists of a themed speech, a talent show and a quiz. Contestants shared their experiences of learning Chinese and their stories about China, demonstrating their passion for the Chinese language and culture through the contest.

Alex Ruzicka from the American Academy in Prague won the competition and will represent the Czech Republic in the "Chinese Bridge" global finals. Meanwhile, a Chinese show for primary school students was also held, and ten-year-old Wilhelmina Pachinger won the top award.

Addressing the event, Chinese Ambassador to the Czech Republic Feng Biao said, "Chinese Bridge" serves not only as a bridge for language but also for culture and friendship, connecting hearts and minds.

"As this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, we would like to take this opportunity to advance exchanges and cooperation in various fields with the Czech side based on mutual respect, equal treatment and mutual benefit, deepen the friendship between the two peoples and contribute to the sound and steady development of China-Czech relations," he said.

Feng hoped the students would use the Chinese language to become envoys promoting exchanges and cooperation between China and the Czech Republic.

As the event organizer, Dai Bo, head of the Chinese International School of Prague, said the "Chinese Bridge" competition is like the Olympics for Chinese language learners.

"We hope to see more Czech primary and secondary school students take this platform to showcase their achievements and share their joy in learning Chinese," he said.