On 29 April, H.E. Ambassador Wang Lixin attended the International Chinese Language Day Celebration 2024 held by the Chinese Language Centre at Villa College of Maldives and delivered a speech. The full text reads as follows:

Honorable H.E. Dr. Maryam Mariya, Minister of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development,
Honorable H.E. Mr. Adam Naseer Ibrahim, Minister of Dhivehi Language, Culture and Heritage,
Respected ministers of states and deputy ministers,
Respected Dr. Ahmed Anwar, Rector of Villa College,
Dear Teachers, Students and Friends:

Good afternoon!

It’s my great pleasure to attend the function to mark the International Chinese Language Day held by the Chinese Language Centre at Villa College of Maldives. On behalf of the Chinese Embassy, I would like to extend warm congratulations to Villa College for this event! 

I’m very pleased to see that the enthusiasm of Maldivian people to learn Chinese keeps rising, continuously driving the "Chinese Enthusiasm" to heat up. Many Maldivian people hope to understand China and read China by leaning Chinese. Indeed, Chinese is an ancient language and an important carrier of China's excellent traditional culture and splendid civilization. Through Chinese, Maldivian people can not only appreciate the profound traditional Chinese culture, but also witness the vitality of modern Chinese culture. By learning Chinese, Maldivian people witness and experience China's development by eyes and ears, and communicate with Chinese people face to face, and tell wonderful Chinese stories and China-Maldives friendly cooperation stories to the world. By learning Chinese, a lot of Maldivian youngsters have gotten better employment opportunities and played an active role in promoting tourism and business cooperation between China and Maldives. 

The friendship between China and Maldives dates back to ancient times. As early as over 600 years ago, Zheng He, a Chinese ancient navigator, visited Maldives twice, and the Maldivian King Yusof also sent envoys to visit China three times. The ancient marine silk road has already connected the two peoples long time ago. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China and Maldives have always respected and supported each other, setting a good example of equal treatment, mutual assistance, and mutual benefit between countries of different sizes. At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, President Dr. Muizzu paid a very successful state visit to China. The two heads of states announced the elevation of China-Maldives relationship to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, and reached important consensus on strengthening exchanges and cooperation of various fields including culture, education, which has injected new momentum and opened new visions for future relationship between the two countries.

The CLC holding the International Chinese Language Day Celebration 2024 is an action to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, and also an important step to carry out the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping, which will help two countries deepen cultural exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations, and strengthen friendship between the two peoples through the linguistic and cultural cooperation.

I have noted that the Maldivian government attaches great importance to education and promotion of Dhivehi language and recently celebrated the Dhivehi language Day. As the first Dhivehi language training program opened in a foreign country, the Dhivehi language program in Beijing Foreign Studies University has achieved positive results in the past three years, and increased Chinese people's knowledge of Maldives' languages and culture. We hope that the CLC at Villa College and the Dhivehi language program in Beijing Foreign Studies University would come together to serve as platforms to promote Chinese and Maldivian languages and cultures as well as the traditional friendship between the two countries, and keep writing beautiful stories of strengthening friendship between the two countries and jointly promoting the Global Civilization Initiative.  

In conclusion, I sincerely hope that more and more Maldivian friends would learn Chinese, love Chinese and understand Chinese, and become promoters and facilitators of traditional friendship and friendly exchanges between China and Maldives and make greater contributions to China-Maldives friendly cooperation. I also wish that the CLC at Villa College of Maldives will do a better job and play a more important role in promoting people-to-people friendship and amity between China and Maldives.

Thank you very much！