Xu Feihong lauds Indian students May 2026

Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong used the 2026 “Chinese Bridge” India regional finals to spotlight Indian students studying Chinese, linking their performances to wider educational exchanges between the two countries. Reports published on May 24 said Xu attended the event in New Delhi and praised finalists for speeches delivered in Chinese and for cultural performances staged during the competition. He said the students’ enthusiasm for Chinese language and culture was visible in both their fluency and stage presentations. The event was part of the annual “Chinese Bridge” contest, a Chinese-language competition for foreign students. ### What exactly did Xu Feihong say at the event? Xu Feihong said in a post on X that he was “delighted” to attend the India regional finals with Pankaj Mittal, secretary general of the Association of Indian Universities, according to multiple reports published on May 24. He described the competition as featuring “fluent Chinese speeches, vibrant cultural performances, and inspiring young talents.” (tribuneindia.com) The ambassador also said the students’ enthusiasm and dedication reflected “the growing vitality of educational and people-to-people exchanges between China and India,” according to the same reports. Other versions of the story said he called the event a sign of growing educational and people-to-people ties between the two countries. ### What is the “Chinese Bridge” competition, and why was the India round notable? (newkerala.com) The “Chinese Bridge” competition is a Chinese-language contest that features speech and performance segments for students outside China, and the India regional finals brought together finalists presenting both language ability and cultural acts. Reports on May 24 described the event as the India regional finals for the 2026 edition. (newsable.asianetnews.com) New Delhi was the reported venue for the finals covered on May 24. The event drew attention because it put Indian students’ Chinese-language study on a public stage at a time when official messaging from both sides has frequently stressed people-to-people contacts even amid a difficult bilateral relationship. That framing came from Xu himself, who tied the contest to mutual understanding and educational exchange. (tribuneindia.com) ### Who else was named in coverage of the finals? Pankaj Mittal, the secretary general of the Association of Indian Universities, was the only other named participant consistently cited in reports about Xu’s appearance at the finals. Xu said he attended the event together with Mittal, indicating the presence of an Indian higher-education representative alongside the Chinese ambassador. (tribuneindia.com) ANI’s dispatch from New Delhi was carried by several outlets on May 24, including The Tribune, Asianet Newsable and others, with largely matching wording on Xu’s remarks and the nature of the contest. That consistency suggests the core details of the event — the date, venue, speaker and substance of his comments — came from the same reported account. (newkerala.com) ### How does this fit with Xu’s recent messaging to Indian youth? On March 27, 2026, Xu called on young people in China and India to form “objective and rational” views of each other and to resist what he described as narratives that amplify differences between the neighbors. In that earlier appearance, he also framed youth exchanges as part of efforts to improve mutual understanding. (tribuneindia.com) A separate May 23 report said Xu told Indian youth they should learn Chinese and become ambassadors of friendship between the two countries. That language closely matched the themes he returned to at the “Chinese Bridge” finals a day later, where he again connected language study with friendship and people-to-people contact. ### What happens after the India regional finals? (aninews.in) The next step for winners from the India regional finals is advancement to subsequent national and then international stages, according to reports summarizing the competition structure. Coverage of the May 24 event did not identify all winners by name, but it did describe the finals as one stage in a larger 2026 competition pathway. (english.hindusthansamachar.in) The Chinese embassy in India has previously highlighted the “Chinese Bridge” contest on its official website as part of youth and cultural exchange activity. That provides the most likely place for any later official update on winners, delegations or the next round involving Indian participants. (in.china-embassy.gov.cn) (newkerala.com)