A CHINESE language competition that spans the globe will enter its climax this week when more than 100 foreigners from Chinese learning centers around the world gather in Beijing to compete for the supreme honor of "Chinese language envoy."

The fifth "Chinese Language Bridge" is sponsored by the Office of Chinese Language Council International, and is an international Chinese contest among university students.

It will be staged at the Beijing Century Theater today and tomorrow. Hailing from the Confucius Institute in Nairobi, Kenya, to the Chinese Center of St. Petersburg University in Russia, and from Kuala Lumpur to Washington, D.C., the 101 final competitors represent a wide range of nations.

This year's competition is themed "China: A Multiethnic Country" and aims to present a consolidated, harmonious and developing China.

The competition will promote China's policies on ethnic affairs and demonstrate the customs of the country's 56 ethnic groups.

According to the sponsor, the 101 university students coming from 49 countries made it to the final round after a global primary competition lasting about six months.

The final winner will be awarded the honorary title of "Chinese language envoy" and receive a scholarship for study in China.

Chinese language learning is becoming popular in more and more countries in Europe, America and Asia.

The number of Chinese learners has exceeded 30 million around the world.

The contest aims to enhance China's leading role in Chinese language teaching and deepen foreign students' understanding of Chinese language and culture.

Editor: Wing