ULAN BATOR, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- The final of a Chinese speech contest was held here Saturday as part of the celebration to mark the 70th anniversary of both the founding of the People's Republic of China and the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Mongolia.
"China and Mongolia are friendly neighbors linked by mountains and rivers. The friendship between the two peoples dates back to ancient times. In recent years, bilateral ties and cooperation have made great progress in various fields," Chinese Ambassador to Mongolia Xing Haiming said at the award ceremony.
"The speeches of the students at the contest were not just wonderful but very meaningful. We will continue to support the development of Chinese education in various schools in Mongolia," Xing said.
Chantsal Nomin-Erdene, a 12th-grade student of Khishig school in Ulan Bator, won the first place in the competition.
"I am very happy I won the first place," Nomin-Erdene told Xinhua.
"I have been learning Chinese for 12 years so far. So China and the Chinese culture are very close to me," she said. "I have a plan to study linguistics in a Chinese university."
A total of 30 secondary school students was competing in the final round. All The contestants were awarded certificates and prizes.
Titled "China through my eyes," the speech contest was co-organized by the Chinese Embassy in Mongolia, the Chinese Cultural Center in Ulan Bator, and the Confucius Institute at the National University of Mongolia.
