ADDIS ABABA, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Twenty-year-old Mariamawit Habtom was among 14 contestants who recently took part in the 24th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for Ethiopian college students, held in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.

A sophomore majoring in tourism, hospitality, and management at St. Mary's University, Habtom captivated the audience, particularly the Chinese guests, by skillfully playing the Chinese flute during the event held on Friday.

"I really enjoy listening to and playing Chinese songs, which are amazingly composed to express different emotions," Habtom told Xinhua in an interview.

Her passion for Chinese music dates back to her primary school years, when she was one of 20 students who received two months of flute training.

"I was so excited to hear a Chinese woman playing music with a flute at our school. I was the first to register and attend the training session," she recalled, noting similarities between the Chinese flute and Ethiopia's traditional musical instrument washint.

Now an active participant in Chinese cultural events in Ethiopia, Habtom frequently performs with the Chinese flute while also providing training to fellow Ethiopians on request.

According to her observation, the number of Ethiopians speaking Chinese and performing Chinese cultural shows in various events has significantly ticked up, signaling that China's cultural engagement in Ethiopia is gaining momentum.

Mandefro Simegnew, a second-year Chinese language student at Addis Ababa University and the winner of the 2025 "Chinese Bridge" competition in Ethiopia, also confirmed this rising trend.

"By learning the language, I would be able to explore more about China's traditions, civilization, lifestyle, and the secret behind its fast economic development," said Simegnew, who hopes to promote Ethiopian culture worldwide using Chinese as a bridge language.

Following his victory, Simegnew is set to represent Ethiopia at the global finals of the "Chinese Bridge" competition in China later this year.

One of the eight judges of this year's competition, Kaleab Zelalem, an alumnus of a Chinese university and now the owner of a private language training school in Addis Ababa, praised the contestants for their improved language proficiency and cultural performances.

He said that interest in learning Chinese is expanding beyond students to include Ethiopian entrepreneurs eager to engage with Chinese business partners.

"The language barrier between Ethiopian and Chinese businessmen has significantly reduced over time as more and more Ethiopian college students and businessmen started learning Chinese and getting familiar with Chinese culture," he said.

He attributed part of this cultural success to the efforts of Confucius Institutes across Ethiopia, which offer Mandarin courses in universities and colleges.

China remains committed to deepening economic, trade, and people-to-people ties with African countries through win-win cooperation and mutual respect as part of its broader development ambitions, he emphasized.

Addressing the awarding ceremony, Ethiopia's State Minister of Tourism Seleshi Girma lauded the event as a reflection of growing cultural exchanges between the two countries.

"Learning language is the very first step and the key to development. The cultural shows by the Ethiopian contestants are one of the manifestations of the growing cultural ties between Ethiopia and China," Girma said.

Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia Chen Hai stressed that the competition has served as a platform to connect China with the wider world and facilitate diverse exchanges through the Chinese language.

"I feel so happy to see the contestants showcasing their Chinese language proficiency and artistic talents, and expressing their deep love for Chinese culture and people," Chen said.