ERBIL,—The Iraqi final of the 25th “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students took place Wednesday at Salahaddin University in Erbil, in Iraq’s Kurdistan region, Xinhua reported.
Nine finalists participated in the competition, which consisted of three sections: a talent performance, a themed speech, and a knowledge quiz.
Bahroz Kanabi Ismael, a second-year student in the Chinese Department at Salahaddin University, secured first place in the contest.
His victory earned him the opportunity to represent Iraq at the global finals of the “Chinese Bridge” competition in China.
Speaking at the event, Chinese Consul General in Erbil Liu Jun said participation levels and contestants’ Chinese-language abilities have increased steadily since the Kurdistan region hosted its first edition of the competition in 2022.
He said the trend demonstrates growing interest in learning Chinese across Iraq.
Liu also said he hoped language exchanges would encourage more young Iraqis to serve as ambassadors of friendship between China and Iraq and support stronger bilateral relations.
Safeen Dizayee, head of the Foreign Relations in the Kurdish authority, expressed appreciation to China for its ongoing efforts to build cultural and educational connections with the Kurdistan region.
Interest in the Chinese language has expanded in Iraq in recent years.
Salahaddin University became the first university in Iraq to offer an academic degree in Chinese in 2019, while University of Baghdad established the Chinese Department in 2025.
(With files from Xinhua)
Copyright © 2026 iKurd.net. All rights reserved.
Related posts:
The Resurrection (Ba’ath) Party – Before the Iran-Iraq War
Iraq – The Cynical Swindle
The Suffocation of Iraq Kurdistan
Saddam Hussein’s Enemies: Paving the Road to the Invasion of Iraq
Iraqi Kurdistan – “Sold Out!” – Part II
Iraq: Revenge and Corruption
Saddam Hussein was a Friend to the West
Business with ISIS – Updated
The New Great Game: An Impending Danger with Serious Global Implications
The Mustashar and the Jash – A View from the Position of ‘Iraqi National Unity’ on the ‘Descendants of Treason’
