习近平复信阿联酋中文教学“百校项目”学生代表

新华社北京5月26日电 近日，国家主席习近平复信阿联酋中文教学“百校项目”学生代表，勉励他们学好中文、了解中国，为促进中阿友好贡献力量。

习近平表示，我读了你们每个人的信，从字里行间、画里画外感受到了大家对中国文化的热爱，对两国友好的期盼。5年前，我同穆罕默德总统共同启动阿联酋中文教学“百校项目”，如今看到“学中文”在阿联酋已经成为一种新风尚，培养了一批像你们这样的中阿交流小使者，我很欣慰。

习近平指出，你们在信中说，中国和阿联酋“手拉手”40年了，希望中阿永远是好朋友，中国人民也抱有同样的愿望。青少年代表着中阿友好关系的未来。欢迎你们来中国看熊猫、登长城，长大后到中国读大学，也欢迎更多的阿联酋青少年学习中文、了解中国，同中国的青少年交流交心、互学互鉴，把友谊的种子根植在心里，为开创中阿关系更加美好的明天贡献力量。

2019年7月，在习近平主席和时任阿联酋阿布扎比王储穆罕默德共同见证下，中阿双方在北京签署备忘录，正式启动阿联酋中文教学“百校项目”。截至目前，阿联酋已有171所学校开设中文课程，7.1万名学生学习中文。近日，阿联酋“百校项目”示范校哈姆丹学校和亚斯学校40名中小学生代表分别用中文致信习主席，表达对中国文化的向往和热爱，立志做中阿友好的使者。

Xi replies to letters from student representatives of Chinese language education project in UAE

BEIJING, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has recently replied to letters from student representatives of the "Hundred Schools Project" of Chinese language education in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), encouraging them to master the language and know China, and contribute to promoting friendship between the two countries.

"I have read each letter from you," Xi said in his reply, "from the lines and drawings, I felt all your love for Chinese culture and your expectation for friendship between the two countries."

Xi recalled that five years ago, he and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan jointly launched the "Hundred Schools Project" of Chinese language education in the UAE.

"Now seeing that learning Chinese has become a new trend in the UAE, and a group of little ambassadors for China-UAE exchanges, like you, have been cultivated, I'm very pleased," Xi said.

"In your letters, you say China and the UAE have 'held hands' for 40 years, and hope that our two countries will always be good friends," Xi noted, "the Chinese people also share the same wish."

Noting that the youth represents the future of the China-UAE friendship, Xi welcomed the students to visit China to see the pandas and climb the Great Wall, and study at Chinese universities when they grow up.

The Chinese president also welcomed more UAE teenagers to learn Chinese and know more about China, hoping that they and their Chinese counterparts can exchange with and learn from each other, planting the seeds of friendship in their hearts, and contributing to a better future for China-UAE relations.

In July 2019, witnessed by Xi and Sheikh Mohamed, then crown prince of Abu Dhabi of the UAE, the two countries signed a memorandum in Beijing, officially launching the "Hundred Schools Project" of Chinese language education in the UAE.

Up to now, there are 171 schools in the UAE offering Chinese language courses, with 71,000 students learning Chinese.

Recently, 40 elementary and middle school student representatives from two demonstration schools of the "Hundred Schools Project," the Hamdan Bin Zayed School and the Yas School in the UAE, wrote letters respectively to Xi in Chinese, expressing their longing and love for Chinese culture and their aspirations to be ambassadors of the China-UAE friendship. ■