COLOMBO, June 4 (Xinhua) -- Two Sri Lankan university students won first prize at the 24th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students, which was held at Colombo Port City on Tuesday.

The two students are Madhavi Kumari Weerasekara from the University of Peradeniya, who was trained by the Confucius Institute at the University of Colombo, and P. Sathya Jinali Pilapitiya from the University of Colombo. Their achievement gives them the opportunity to represent Sri Lanka at the competition's final stage in China.

The event, held by the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka, was organized by the Confucius Institute at the University of Kelaniya in partnership with CHEC Port City Colombo (Pvt) Ltd.

At the award ceremony, Ji Lili, counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka, highlighted the significance of language education in building cross-cultural understanding. She emphasized that learning Chinese goes beyond language skills, leading to deeper connections between the peoples of both countries.

Speaking on behalf of the University of Kelaniya, which is known for its foreign language teaching, Vice Chancellor Nilanthi de Silva spoke about ongoing discussions to further develop the university's Chinese language program, including plans for a dual degree awarded by both institutions and possible future master's programs for graduates engaged in teaching Chinese.

Wu Hongyuan, co-director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Kelaniya said that, "We regard the 'Chinese Bridge' competition as an important platform to test the results of Chinese education and promote the development of Chinese teaching.