PRAGUE — The 21st "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for Czech college students was held on May 20 at the Institute of Technology and Business in Ceske Budejovice (ITB), south Czech Republic.

Six competitors participated in the event, jointly organized by the Chinese Embassy in the Czech Republic and the ITB's Confucius Classroom.

Subash Parajuli from the Charles University in Prague won the competition and will represent the Czech Republic in China later this year to compete against college students around the world.

In his speech, Zhang Maoming, charge d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in the Czech Republic, stressed the importance of language and cultural exchanges in enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese and Czech people and in promoting the development of bilateral relations.

China has always valued and actively promoted cultural and youth exchanges and cooperation between the two countries, he said, adding that the embassy will, as always, promote bilateral educational exchanges.

On her part, ITB's Vice-Rector Jarmila Strakova said that the "Chinese Bridge" competition offers Czech students an opportunity to compete with their peers from all over the world to demonstrate their knowledge of the Chinese language and culture.

Through numerous collaboration projects with Chinese universities, she said ITB will actively promote exchanges and cooperation in education and other fields between the two countries.