According to a report last month in China Daily, “The surge in demand for Chinese lessons in Russia reflects the nation’s shift toward the East as tensions escalate between Moscow and the West.”
Natalia Danina, a manager at Head-Hunter, Russia’s leading online recruitment company, told China Daily that there were almost 11,000 job vacancies last year requiring proficiency in Chinese, up 44% from 2021.
Over the same period, the number of jobs for Chinese speakers in Russia has doubled in the areas of sales, transportation, and logistics, she said, noting an “accelerated transition” to Chinese-made equipment and spare parts. Danina added that the need for Chinese speakers in energy-related positions has tripled. Cao Shihai, minister-counselor of education at the Chinese embassy in Russia, said that educational and cultural exchanges have emerged as crucial components of bilateral relations, playing an irreplaceable role in fostering mutual trust and friendship among the people of both countries.
Universities and other educational institutions in China and Russia have entered into over 3,000 agreements and formed 13 university alliances, encompassing more than 800 universities, he said.
With the rising popularity of language learning, approximately 120,000 Chinese students are studying Russian, while the number of Russian students learning Chinese has reached 113,000. Moreover, 150 universities and nearly 200 high schools have introduced Chinese language classes, Cao added.