A student gives a speech during the Maltese leg of the 24th “Chinese Bridge“ Chinese proficiency competition for foreign university students at the University of Malta in Msida, Malta, on May 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Wenxian)

　　Marie Claire Aquilina won the first prize in the competition and will travel to China to represent the University of Malta in the global finals. Aquilina is currently pursuing a master's degree in translation and hopes to one day work as a translator between Chinese and Maltese, or become a Chinese language teacher.

　　Second-place winner Matilde Ferrario would also have the opportunity to visit China. “Knowing Chinese will help me a lot with my future job hunting,“ said Ferrario, who hopes to pursue a career in tourism.

　　A student performs a Chinese costume show during the Maltese leg of the 24th “Chinese Bridge“ Chinese proficiency competition for foreign university students at the University of Malta in Msida, Malta, on May 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Wenxian)

　　Dennis Mizzi, foreign director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Malta, expressed hope that more students would take up the study of Chinese.