Global Times: Saudi Chinese learners welcome Xi's visit, vow to be friendship ambassadors, encouraged by reply letter from Xi

BEIJING, Dec. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Saudi Arabia is a special event for all Chinese learners and enthusiasts in Saudi Arabia, as they have just received a reply letter from Xi.

In the letter of reply to representatives of Chinese language learners in Saudi Arabia, the Chinese leader encouraged Saudi youths to learn Chinese well and make new contributions to strengthening China-Saudi Arabia and China-Arab friendship.

At present, both Chinese people and Saudi people are working hard to realize their great dreams. Learning each other's language and understanding each other's history and culture will help promote mutual understanding and forge closer bonds between the people of the two countries, and also contribute to building a human community with a shared future, Xi said.

Students majoring in Chinese in Saudi Arabia told the Global Times that they felt very encouraged after reading Xi's letter to them. "We wanted to write a letter to welcome the arrival of President Xi and to show him the results of our Chinese learning," said Nada Saad Hussain Al Sulaiman, a sophomore majoring in business Chinese at the Princess Nora bint Abdul Rahman University. "I didn't expect President Xi to be able to read our letter and reply to us when he was so busy. This is a great honor for me and a precious memory to cherish for a lifetime," she told the Global Times.

Xi said the students are welcomed to visit China where they can enhance mutual understanding and develop a long-term friendship with Chinese youths so as to jointly create a better future for China-Saudi Arabia and China-Arab relations.

"I will definitely keep in mind President Xi's expectations for us, live up to my time, study hard, and contribute to the enhancement of the China-Saudi Arabia friendship," said Nada, emphasizing she wishes President Xi good health and to see him continue to lead China to prosperity and strength.

Ahmed Sulaiman Salim Alhayfani, a junior majoring in Chinese at the King Abdulaziz University, who is also among the authors of the letter to Xi, told the Global Times that learning Chinese has helped him open the door to understanding China, which not only offers opportunities for him to learn about China's long history and culture, but has also changed his destiny.

"President Xi's letter to Chinese learners in Saudi Arabia is undoubtedly a great inspiration for them, and will bring positive encouragement," Shao Yang, a teacher from the Beijing Language and Culture University now teaching Chinese at the Princess Nora bint Abdul Rahman University, told the Global Times. Shao noted that the importance the leaders of the two countries have attached to Chinese language education is the driving force of the rapid development of Chinese learning in Saudi Arabia and Xi's letter has injected new impetus to the people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries.