Sat, November 07, 2009
MOSCOW, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- The reciprocal language years staged in China and Russia are a powerful impetus for cultural exchanges and friendship, said an expert from the International Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature (MAPRYAL) on Friday.
Liu Limin, vice president and general secretary of the association, told Xinhua that the language-year events, acknowledged by Chinese and Russian leaders as a pivotal measure to promote mutual understanding, friendly ties and strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries, "are of realistic and historical significance."
Liu, who was also the president of the Association of Chinese Teachers of Russian Language and Literature (ACTRLL), took an anecdote from ancient Chinese history as an example.
He said a Chinese emperor in the Ming Dynasty once wrote a goodwill letter to the Russian tsar but, due to a lack of Chinese translators in the country at that time, the letter was laid aside for as long as 50 years.
"This precisely shows how inconveniently both sides would communicate without adequate knowledge of each other's language," said Liu.
"Although China and Russia maintain close contacts in the economy, politics and culture, the language problem deserves necessary attention," he added.
Liu was awarded the prestigious Pushkin Medal and Friendship Medal in 2003 and 2006, respectively, for his extraordinary contribution in popularizing the Russian language.
Liu believed the Chinese language has also gained a chance for further promotion, as the strengthening comprehensive national power of China has helped it engage more in interactions with other countries in a variety of spheres.
"Against the backdrop of economic globalization, language exchanges serve as the barometer of international relations," he said. "Based on the amply scheduled plans of the 'Year of Chinese language', I believe the event will achieve great success next year."
Liu, who came to Moscow to attend the third China-Russia university cooperation forum, also saw broad prospects for colleges and universities of the two countries, as many Russian chancellors were keenly interested in cooperating with their Chinese counterparts.
However, to better enhance bilateral cooperation, the language and cultural barriers must be removed and overcome to ensure harmonious collaboration, he said.
China and Russia decided to hold the "Year of Russian Language" in China in 2009 and the "Year of Chinese Language" in Russia in 2010.
