By the end of last year, nearly 30 million people from more than 85 countries and regions were learning standard Chinese ---Putonghua.

China is also witnessing a growth in the number of foreign students who come to study Chinese and related courses.

An estimated 410,000 foreign students have signed up for Chinese courses over the past 10 years.

It is estimated that the number of foreigners coming to China to learn the language has maintained an average annual growth rate of 35 per cent over the past few years.

China's continuous economic expansion and the strengthening of its trade and business ties with the rest of the world have been behind the interest in learning Chinese.

These kinds of business engagements have in turn sparked a huge demand for professional employees in foreign countries with a good command of Chinese.

The trend is more evident among some of China's largest trading partners, particularly Japan, the United States, the Republic of Korea and some nations in Southeast Asia.

"I think a good knowledge of Chinese can help me secure a good job back in my country as there are a growing number of business companies setting up operations in China,'' said a 24-year-old female student of Peking University who comes from South Korea.

She added that a certificate of the Chinese Proficiency Test, or Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK), is important when seeking a job in a large company in South Korea.

In 2001, 12,757 people in 24 countries outside China took the HSK, 47 per cent more than in 2000, according to statistics from China's Ministry of Education.

This trend was expected to increase last year, but the figures for 2002 are not yet available.

The HSK test began in Beijing in 1988. It is a national standardized test designed to assess foreign students' command of the Chinese language.

In 1991, the HSK test was held on a trial basis in Singapore, Japan and Australia. It has since been gradually accepted by educational departments in more countries.

To date, the Office of the State Commission for the Chinese Proficiency Test has set up 44 testing centres in 27 cities in China, including Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, and 55 centres in 24 other countries in Asia, Europe, the Americas and Oceania.

Since 1991, a total of 380,000 people from 120 countries have taken the test in those centres, said Vice-Minister of Education Zhang Xinsheng.

The Chinese language -- as well as Chinese culture and other languages and cultures -- has played a tremendous role in developing human civilization and pushing forward social progress, Zhang said.

"Hopefully the exchange of languages can help enhance understanding and friendship between peoples of different countries,'' he added.

(China Daily February 8, 2003)