Xinhua News Agency, Astana, October 4th Reporter’s Notes丨Experiencing the “Chinese Fever” in Central Asian Countries
Xinhua News Agency reporters He Zhanjun, Huang Sisi, Jiang Youlin
In the city light rail station, the screen of the self-service ticket vending machine lights up, and Chinese, Kazakh, Russian, and English are presented side by side. With the touch of your fingertips, you can easily purchase tickets; when you walk out of the station, the online ride-hailing driver takes the initiative to say "hello" in slightly unfamiliar Chinese; when you sit down to dine, many restaurant waiters will hand over Chinese menus...
In the past few days, reporters have traveled through many countries in Central Asia. Everywhere they look, Chinese application scenarios are constantly expanding, and a "Chinese fever" is coming. Chinese is being integrated into Central Asian society in a visible way and entering the daily life of local people.
As night falls, the hustle and bustle of Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan, continues. Ali Farabi In the classroom of the Confucius Institute at the Kazakh National University, the sounds of reading and brisk questions and answers echoed intertwinedly. After a day's work, 26-year-old Ayim Nowruzbayeva walked into the classroom with more than a hundred local Chinese enthusiasts from all walks of life.
Nowruzbayeva works for a local logistics company, and her long-term experience in dealing with Chinese merchants has allowed her to see the opportunities hidden in the Chinese language. In September this year, she signed up to learn Chinese. “I hope I can study in China next year and continue working in the field of Kazakhstan-China cooperation after my studies,” she said.
This Confucius Institute is jointly established by Lanzhou University and Ali Farabi Kazakh National University. Deng Hong, the Chinese director of the college, said: "The local Chinese learning atmosphere has continued to heat up in recent years, and the age of students ranges from 7 to 70 years old." The college is one of the global test centers for the Chinese Proficiency Test, serving an average of more than 2,000 candidates every year, and the number of applicants is increasing year by year.
A similar scenario unfolded in Tajikistan. Sun Jing, the Chinese director of the Confucius Institute at Tajik University for Nationalities, said: “The college enrolls two students every year, each enrolling more than 1,000 people, but each time there are more than 1,500 applicants. Some parents are willing to travel long distances to send their children to learn Chinese.”
The channels for people in Central Asia to learn Chinese are becoming increasingly diverse. The reporter visited and found that in addition to Confucius Institutes, the private Chinese training and Chinese tutoring markets are booming. In Astana, the reporter searched for "Chinese courses" on the local life service platform and found 136 Chinese training institutions; other cities with larger populations also have dozens to hundreds of similar institutions.
In the evening, when the reporter entered the "Teacher" Education Center in Almaty, the classroom of this private Chinese training institution was full of people. Children, school students, and working people study in the same class, and the classroom atmosphere is very lively. Tatyana Kokonova, head of the center, said: "Kazakhstan-China cooperation in economy, trade, logistics, and science and technology continues to deepen, and the number of locals taking the initiative to learn Chinese is increasing year by year." She said that the institution currently implements graded teaching, and she and her colleagues have also compiled special teaching materials for students based on Kazakhstan's customs and customs to help them better learn and use Chinese.
Tutoring is the new trend in learning Chinese. After completing her studies at the Confucius Institute at Ali Farabi Kazakh National University, 27-year-old Roza became a Chinese tutor and is currently teaching Chinese to 15 teenagers. "Chinese culture is very fascinating, and Chinese opens a window for us to observe China." Roza said.
The rise of "Chinese language fever" in Central Asia is not accidental, but the result of multiple factors such as economic and trade connectivity, mutual learning among civilizations, and policy convenience. Chinese is changing from a classroom language to a "code of opportunity" for Central Asian youth to pursue their dreams for the future.
Kyrgyz youth Baikazak Sultanbekov, who is studying at Jalal-Abad University, has been studying Chinese for more than two years. Starting from August 20 this year, citizens of Kyrgyzstan can apply for the 240-hour transit visa-free policy and Hainan’s 30-day entry visa-free policy to come to China. “I am very happy to learn this news, and my desire to go to Hainan to see the sea is getting closer.”
"My family fully supports me in learning Chinese." 17-year-old Muslima is studying at the Confucius Institute at Tashkent State Oriental University in Uzbekistan. When she studied in Xi'an in 2025, she was deeply moved by the scenery of the ancient city and has since developed a strong interest in Chinese culture. “I really want to go to China and see more,” she said.
Gulinar Shaimelgenova, director of the China Research Center in Kazakhstan, said that China’s leading advantages in high-tech industries such as science and technology innovation and digital economy have made bilingual talents in fields such as artificial intelligence and financial technology more and more popular, which continues to drive the growing demand for Chinese learning in the region.
In the ancient land of Central Asia, language carries the warmth of encounter between civilizations, making the story of cooperation between China and Central Asia vivid, touching, warm and moving in every reading and conversation.
