UK consul general urges British youth to learn Chinese, build bilateral ties

More than 1 million Chinese students have obtained degrees in the United Kingdom, but the UK also needs more of its own young people to travel to China, learn the language, and understand how the country operates, British Consul General in Shanghai Matthew John Burney said on Saturday.

He made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the Mandarin Excellence Programme (MEP) summer camp, held on July 4 at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (SUFE), emphasizing that learning Chinese is a key that unlocks exchanges in economy, trade, culture, and youth engagement between the two countries.

Commending the decade-long educational and diplomatic value of MEP, Burney encouraged British teenagers at the ceremony to persevere in their Chinese studies, experience diverse cultures, enhance their global competence, deepen bilateral ties, and build a friendly future together.

The event was hosted by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC) under the Chinese Ministry of Education, in partnership with the British Council, and organized by SUFE. It drew distinguished guests, 10 group leaders and 87 students from four UK schools and SUFE’s affiliated Sanmen Middle School.

Extending a warm welcome to the consul general, UK teachers and students, and project guests, SUFE vice-president Yao Lingzhen noted that the university had designed specialized, scenario-based Chinese language courses and cultural activities for the summer camp.