In India visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao taught students at the Tagore International School how to send a message of China-India friendship with traditional Chinese calligraphy.
The school was founded in 1964 and named after Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore.
The school has an exchange program with the Jinyuan Senior High School in Shanghai, which includes video-conferenced yoga lessons for Chinese students and calligraphy lessons for Indian students.
Wen said he was very glad to learn that India plans to teach Chinese language in secondary schools from next year, adding he views language as an important tool for heart-to-heart communication and a bridge for friendship.
Wen’s visit to the school comes at a time when the Indian people’s interest in Chinese language is growing as the two emerging economies seek closer ties.
EnglishNews.cn reports the Indian Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced plans to introduce Chinese as a foreign language in its 11,000 affiliated schools next year.