KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian youth has made the country proud when she won an international English speaking competition held in Hangzhou, China over the weekend.
Nicol Yong Jia Jia was proclaimed the winner of the Belt and Road Youth English Speaking Competition and the China Daily ‘21st Century Cup’ International English Speaking Competition. China’s Chen Qiyu came in second, reported China Daily news portal.
The competition was aimed at helping youths from diverse backgrounds gain a deeper understanding of each other’s countries and cultures.
The final was held at Hangzhou International Expo Centre on Sunday.
Jointly held by China Daily, Hangzhou Municipal Government and the English-Speaking Union (ESU), the contest attracted 31 students from some 30 countries and regions.
China Daily said the themes of the prepared speeches for the contestants were ‘Let Us Be True to One Another’ and ‘The Great Truth is Simple’.
Citing organisers, it said the themes were to inspire them to share their points of view on a shared future and promote communication through competitions and exchanges in response to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013. -- BERNAMA