The "Understanding Contemporary China" Foreign Language Contests were held in Beijing from December 4 to 8.

The event was organized by the Beijing Foreign Studies University and co-organized and co-sponsored by the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press.

Nearly one million college students from more than 1,300 universities participated, with about 2,500 entering the national final. The contests aimed to deepen college students' understanding of China, enhance their linguistic abilities and intercultural communication competence, and provide a platform for them to tell China's stories well.

The contests were divided into two categories: English group and multilingual group, and three stages: school competition, provincial competition, and national competition.

The national contest for the English group had five sub-competitions: speech, writing, reading, translation, and interpretation. Gold winners in each sub-competition will participate in the International Communication Contest.

The champion of the English group was determined through a simulated "Global Youth Summit". Three contestants discussed topics with Xinhua News Agency's reporter Simon Keith Robinson including cultural diversity and the future development of mankind, which tested their knowledge and capacity to handle diverse subjects.

Xu Chengcheng, from the Beijing Foreign Studies University, won the national championship of the International Communication Contest. She demonstrated a high-level of English proficiency and strong communication skills in the prepared speech and the Global Youth Summit session.

The national contest for multilingual group comprehensively tested abilities of interpretation, topic speech, impromptu speech, as well as other skills. A special session of "Multilingual Champions Showcase" was part of the closing ceremony, where champions used their foreign language skills to share stories about their understanding of China and communication with the world, showcasing youthful insights.

The contests covered a wide range of topics, including UN sustainable development goals (SDGs), Belt and Road initiatives, cultural diversity, and the Chinese path to modernization.

The judging panel included professors from universities and international communication experts from governmental institutions, media organizations and enterprises.