HANOI, April 22 (Xinhua) -- The 2023 Chinese language study seminar and expo kicked off here on Saturday, with the participation of 52 Chinese universities and more than 12,000 guests, the biggest among over 40 host countries over the past eight years.

Chinese and Vietnamese officials, Chinese language learners, and examinees of Chinese proficiency test are among those present at the event.

Addressing the seminar, Ma Jianfei, director general of the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC) of China, said such a seminar is a bridge connecting Chinese language learners from all over the world who come to China to study, contributing to creating more jobs and expanding international education services.

"We are pleased to see that with the deepening of China-Vietnam relations, the number of Vietnamese people learning Chinese is increasing, and the demand for learning Chinese and studying in China is also constantly rising," he said.

Xi Hui, minister of the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam, said cooperation in education and youth exchange plays an active role in enhancing understanding and promoting traditional friendship between China and Vietnam, and youths are the future of the relationship between the two countries.

China announced that in the next five years, it will give Vietnam no less than 1,000 Chinese Government Scholarships and no less than 1,000 International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarships, helping Vietnam train highly qualified human resources and teachers of Chinese language education, she said.

At the seminar, representatives from 52 Chinese universities answered questions of Vietnamese students and their parents about graduate and post-graduate programs in China and relevant scholarships.

The annual event has become a comprehensive international education exchange and cooperation platform, benefiting many Chinese language learners in more than 40 countries around the world.