International students from Wuyi University of East China's Fujian Province engage in fresh?leaf plucking and learn about tea varieties on-site at a local tea plantation on May 12, 2026. Photo: VCG

From the Chinese classes in Vietnam's primary school curriculum, to the foreign language option in Russia's Unified State Exam, from Chinese as an optional subject in Tanzania's college entrance examination, to the "Hundred Schools Project" of Chinese language education in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) , the enthusiasm for the Chinese language has demonstrated robust vitality.

As reported by the Xinhua News Agency on Tuesday, the annual number of candidates taking the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK), or the Chinese Proficiency Test, exceeds 810,000, while the global population of Chinese‑language learners has hit 210 million.

Why are a surging number of foreigners choosing to learn Chinese today? Beyond the magnetic pull of Chinese culture, the boundless opportunities China has to offer - coupled with the full-fledged career chain built into the Chinese language learning system - are emerging as a "gateway" for international youth seeking to connect with China's rising prospects.

Twin appeals

Deni (pseudonym), a 22-year-old from Russia, is a devoted China enthusiast. Having successfully passed the HSK Level 4 examination last December, he is now preparing to apply for an immersive study journey in China this September.

Deni's father has long been engaged in trade-related work with China. Growing up in such an environment, Deni began taking the initiative to learn about Chinese culture from middle school - watching Chinese films and listening to Chinese songs - which gradually fueled his interest in the country. Later, he enrolled in Chinese courses at his school.

"While learning Chinese, I found that the grammar, pronunciation and tones differ greatly from those of Russian. Yet, I find Chinese particularly fascinating," Deni told the Global Times on Wednesday. His favorite part of learning Chinese is the Chinese four‑character idioms. "The Chinese people are incredibly wise. They can vividly convey meanings and essences with merely four characters," he said in amazement.

As of the 2024‑25 academic year, 380,000 international students from 191 countries and regions worldwide have pursued studies and exchanges in China, chinanews.com reported on April 12.

The growing global influence of traditional Chinese culture, trendy culture pioneered by China's younger generation and Chinese TV dramas has expanded foreign young people's desire to learn about China, Zhang Yiwu, a professor of cultural studies at Peking University, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Ichiten Yoshida, a Japanese university student, said that he joined a Chinese‑learning group in an online gaming community to unpack the cultural undertones woven into Chinese-made game Genshin Impact, youth.cn reported. Even more noteworthy, fellow group members have voluntarily compiled a custom Genshin‑themed Chinese dictionary. "Not learning Chinese means missing out on 70 percent of what makes Genshin Impact truly special," he said.

Deni has also witnessed the expanding enrollment scale of Chinese language courses at his own school. More and more Russians around him are coming to China to study and live, and some of his own friends will become his senior schoolmates this September.

The Chinese‑language surge is taking hold not only in Russia but across many other countries worldwide. As of September 2025, 86 countries have incorporated Chinese into their national education systems, chinanews.com reported on November 12, 2025.

"There are over 20,000 private international Chinese language learning institutions worldwide, and they are growing at an annual rate of approximately 10 percent," reported the youth.cn, citing Yu Zhixuan, a member of a research team from the School of Foreign Languages at Yangzhou University, whose work focuses on the global spread of Chinese language education. 

This underscores the vast potential of the overseas Chinese learning market, particularly the steadily growing demand from the private sector, youth.cn reported.

Zhang Yiwu believes that the rapid development of China's economy, together with the overseas industrial layout under the Belt and Road Initiative, has led to a surge in global demand for Chinese-language communication in trade and industrial cooperation, which also drives the rising number of Chinese language learners.

 "Against the backdrop of Chinese's rising influence, mastering Chinese enables young foreigners to access more employment opportunities," Zhang said.

Taking himself and people around him as examples, Deni said that for them, the linguistic appeal of Chinese is merely a "stepping‑stone" for choosing further studies in China; what they value more are the career opportunities and development security China can offer.

"For my future career plan, which focuses on China-Russian trade, if I become proficient in Chinese, I will be able to communicate better with clients and save on costs such as translation." Deni said. He added that the Chinese market has enormous potential, and with the friendly relations between the two countries, mastering Chinese will certainly "have its use."

Learners from Southeast Asian countries also demonstrate similar educational needs. According to a report by youth.cn, young people under 35 make up a striking 82 percent of Chinese‑language learners in Southeast Asia who pursue the language largely for career advancement.

Well‑established Chinese‑language education system

Zhang Yiwu said by establishing a complete and efficient system of teaching content and educational support, China has capitalized on the opportunity arising from the "Chinese language boom" among foreigners and created a favorable environment for overseas learners of the Chinese language.

The Center for Language Education and Cooperation of the Ministry of Education has carried out Chinese‑language education cooperation with over 190 countries across the globe, supporting the setup of 83 Chinese Language Learning and Testing Centers and 1,477 test venues for the HSK, Xinhua reported.

Deni has benefited from the widespread distribution of test center arrangements. He said that there is already an HSK test center locally in his city, so he does not need to worry about commuting.

Xinhua also cited Yang Zhou, deputy director of the Center, as saying that the Center will work actively with partners from all sectors to forge a new model covering standard‑setting, curriculum training, examination certification and internship‑employment linkage, so as to boost the integrated development of "Chinese‑plus" education and talent cultivation.

Some Chinese vocational schools also provide "Chinese plus vocational skills" education services for overseas international students. This not only helps foreign learners enhance their employability and cross‑cultural communication capabilities, but also provides support for deepening international industrial cooperation and advancing the integration of industry and education, youth.cn reported.

An African student from Rwanda practices live?stream selling in Chinese at the e-commerce practical training center of the Business College at Jinhua University of Vocational Technology in East China's Zhejiang Province on June 25, 2024. File Photo: VCG

Jointly developed by the Sino-Zam Vocational College of Science and Technology and China 15th Metallurgical Construction Group Co., Ltd., the tailored‑to‑hire training program "Chinese plus heavy‑duty equipment maintenance" runs for one year with a total of 970 class hours, China Radio International (CRI) Online reported. Graduates are offered jobs at the Group after completing the program, per CRI Online.

In addition to courses such as industrial Chinese, introduction to computers, more than 10 corporate management and key technical personnel will also deliver lectures and provide hands-on training.

Muka is one of the students. "For me, learning Chinese and technical skills is not only a route to employment but also a gateway to a wider world," he said. 

Talking about his upcoming academic journey in China, Deni could barely hide his excitement, saying, "I've learned that Chinese people often liken autumn to a season of harvest, and I believe I will reap much from my time in China." Amid China's wealth of promising development opportunities, Deni epitomizes countless learners riding the global Chinese‑language boom.