A Chinese saying goes; "To learn a language is to have one more window to look at the world".
This was a call to nations on Friday as Chinese nationals in Nairobi gathered to mark the international day of the Chinese language – best known as Mandarin.
Chinese envoy in Kenya Zhou Pingjian called on world leaders to speak multiple languages to bring lasting peace among nations.
The envoy vouched for the Chinese language saying it was a window to learn contemporary China and its culture.
“The Chinese language is the symbol and vehicle of Chinese cultural heritage through which we can understand China and its people,” he said.
He spoke at UN offices in Nairobi on Friday during a special occasion to mark the 15th anniversary of the International Chinese Language Day.
Other leaders who spoke at the meeting called upon the world to embrace multiple languages.
Director General for UN in Nairobi Hawa Bangura and China’s Jiangsu Province deputy governor Ma Xin rallied nations to appreciate the Chinese language.
The Chinese language is among the six official languages recognized by the United Nations. Others are Arabic, English, French, Russian, and Spanish.
A fifth of the world’s population speaks Chinese, making it the number one language in the universe.
The 1973 UN General Assembly and Security Council established Chinese as part of the working languages of the UN.
Ambassador Zhou added that through language, the world will be able to connect, link and associate better.
“Connectivity of all things are the ideals pursued by the Chinese nation to build an interconnected village where all cultures are linked and destiny shared,” he said.
The ambassador said the world should neither opt for isolation nor watch the fire from a distance.
“The calls for decoupling are against the trends in history,” the envoy said.
“Let us avoid small groupings. The world is witnessing new patterns, new risks, and new challenges,” Zhou added.
He said through speaking multiple languages, “nations will build a community of shared future and win-win cooperation.”
Xin, the deputy governor, said through the Chinese language, the spirit of national exchanges will keep thriving.
“We are in a new era where we are following truthfulness and sincerity. We seek to use language to relate better on matters of economy, agriculture, trade and education,” he said.
“Language is the medium to new connections, deeper cultural exchanges, and promote people-to-people exchanges. We can thus build a community of shared future for all mankind,” Xin explained.
Bangura, for her part, said it was time the world celebrated multilingualism and cultural diversity.
“The UN recognises the rich heritage of Chinese language. We encourage people to learn and appreciate the language.”
She added, “Celebrate the power of multiple languages. There is a saying that goes that by learning a language, you avoid a war.”
During the event, the rich Chinese culture was at full display including an orchestra by Nanjing University, calligraphy, and a lesson on Chinese characters.
Students of Nairobi University Confucius Institute also performed the famed ‘Jambo Bwana’ – a patriotic song, in a blend of Chinese and Kiswahili.
The Chinese language is hailed as the largest in the world, and its characters are credited to Canjie – a philosopher who existed more than 5,000 years ago, and is believed had four eyes.
Canjie invented Chinese characteristics during the period of Guyu – Chinese for grain rain), which comes just at the end of spring – around April 20.