STORY: "Chinese Bridge" language proficiency competition concludes in Israel
DATELINE: June 9, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:23
LOCATION: HAIFA, Israel
CATEGORY: CULTURE

SHOTLIST:
1. various of "Chinese Bridge" language proficiency competition
2. SOUNDBITE (Chinese): YAHEL DAVIDIAN, Runner-up from University of Haifa
3. various of Liu Song, minister-counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Israel, delivering a speech
4. various of Liu Song presenting awards to the champion

STORYLINE:

The 22nd "Chinese Bridge" language proficiency competition for Israeli university students concluded on Thursday in the country's northern city of Haifa.
   
Seven students from five Israeli universities took part in the contest, hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Israel and the University of Haifa, which featured Chinese speech, Chinese knowledge quiz and talent show.
   
In addition to delivering speech themed "One World, One Family," the contestants expressed their enthusiasm for Chinese culture by showcasing their talents in poetry recitation, guitar playing of Chinese folk songs, Chinese style of stand-up comedy, Chinese movie dubbing, as well as Tai Chi performances.
   
Amit Portman, a student from the Israeli campus of China's University of International Business and Economics, won the contest and will represent Israeli university students to compete in the annual international Chinese language contest to be held in China.
 
"My dream is to use my Chinese language to bring Israeli-Chinese relations closer," said Portman, who majors in business management.
   
"Learning Chinese not only enabled me to have a deeper understanding of Chinese civilization, but also widened my perspectives of China and the world. Only through exchanges among different cultures can human civilization continue," Portman said in his speech during the contest.
   
Yahel Davidian from the University of Haifa took the second place, winning a ticket to China to view the finals of the annual international Chinese language contest.

SOUNDBITE (Chinese): YAHEL DAVIDIAN, Runner-up from University of Haifa
"I am an East Asian Studies student from University of Haifa. When I was a child, I was interested in China and Chinese culture, because my parents did business in China. Every time they came back from China, they would bring me delicious Chinese snacks and often told me so many interesting stories about China. I was fascinated by this country. When I chose my major at college, I wanted to choose East Asian Studies, because I knew that if I wanted to understand China, I must first understand Chinese. My goal is to be proficient in Chinese, which gives me a good understanding of Chinese history, culture and customs. "

Addressing the competition, Liu Song, minister-counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Israel, said the theme of the contest this year fully reflects the Chinese traditional philosophy of pursuing a dream of peace and harmony among nations.
 
The Chinese diplomat expressed his hope that the contest would continue to serve as a real bridge between the Chinese and Israeli peoples by enriching the Israeli young people's knowledge about China.
   
"Not far from today, you will become messengers and builders for Chinese and Israeli cultural exchanges, for friendly cooperation, and make a greater contribution to the development of your own country, as well as China," Liu said.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Haifa, Israel.
(XHTV)