Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

China and Kenya recently launched Putonghua textbooks to strengthen cultural and educational ties driven by deepening economic ties. China's Hubei Changjiang Publishing and Media Group partnered with the University of Nairobi to launch the new Eastern African Practical Chinese Textbook Series. The initiative seeks to provide accessibility to Putonghua learning resources to meet a growing demand for the Chinese language.

According to the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi, more than 2,000 students in Kenya registered for the Chinese language course in 2024, compared with 1,522 in 2023. The new Putonghua textbooks seek to foster cultural understanding between China and Kenya, and the larger East African community.

This new book series is fully localized and has integrated local contexts, life scenes and culture of the region with that of the Chinese people, enabling learners to expand their imagination and better understand the life and times, and culture of the Chinese people. Overall, the series has been praised, with the Putonghua teaching materials being described as high-quality, age-appropriate and culturally relevant for the Kenyan, East African context.

Kenya is an economic powerhouse in East Africa, and it is also China's biggest trading partner in East Africa. The East African Practical Chinese Textbook is a series of indigenous Chinese language textbooks targeting learners whose first language is not Chinese. 

This and other academic initiatives are driven by the growing importance of China in the global community, global economy and trade. Therefore, the potential benefits for Putonghua to open and broaden career opportunities and international trade are immense.

China is a major global player with significant, and ever-growing influence in the world's economy, social life and politics. Kenyan, and African students at large, with a high proficiency in Putonghua will have a competitive edge in the job market, particularly in fields related to trade, technology and international relations. 

There is a growing trend of Kenyan children learning Putonghua due to strong economic and diplomatic ties between China and Kenya, and more so for the local, regional and international opportunities that Putonghua presents for African children. 

Research on Chinese language uptake across the African continent shows that as of April 2022, an estimated 16 countries had incorporated the language into their national education systems, and at least 30 universities had established Chinese majors. Kenya's Kenyatta University introduced a four-year bachelor's degree in Chinese culture and language in 2024.

Putonghua syllabus in Kenya was completed in 2020, following the release of a new teaching schedule by the Teachers Service Commission that included Putonghua as a foreign language for pupils from Grade 4.

Since the east African nation began efforts to institutionalize Putonghua in 2019, spaces and platforms for Kenyans to vigorously interact with the Chinese language are expanding. The Chinese Bridge competition in Kenya is an annual event that tests the Chinese language proficiency and cultural understanding of Kenyan students. 

The most recent competition that includes speech contests, Chinese Talent Show and quizzes was held in May 2025 at the University of Nairobi, under the theme "One World, One Family." The competition typically showcases students' abilities in the Chinese language and their understanding of Chinese culture. Winners of this contest often receive scholarships to study in China.

But learning Putonghua and the Chinese culture is not just about broadening economic opportunities, in a world that is increasingly breeding intolerance and conflict, experts say embracing foreign languages is a powerful tool in fostering understanding, as well as bilateral and multilateral friendships, which in turn creates harmony and stability in the global community. Even more so as China is known for its peaceful approach to issues.

The author is a Kenya-based journalist. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn