On May 15, 2026, the 6th “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Secondary School Students in Antigua and Barbuda was held in St. John’s. The event was hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Antigua and Barbuda and organized by the Confucius Institute of Antigua and Barbuda (CIAB). H. E. Ambassador Jiang Wei, Dr. René Young Romero from the Ministry of Education of Antigua and Barbuda, Ms. Arlene Weste, Chairman of the Board of CIAB, as well as teachers and students from Sir Novelle Richards Academy, Antigua Girls’ High School, Clare Hall Secondary School, St. Mary’s Secondary School, Antigua Grammar School and other local schools attended the event.

Ambassador Jiang addressed that the Chinese language serves as a bridge connecting civilizations. An increasing number of people in Antigua and Barbuda have bonded each other through learning Chinese, gained a deeper understanding of China, and grown fond of the country. She also highlighted the Global Civilization Initiative, introducing fruitful outcomes of cultural and educational exchanges between China and Antigua and Barbuda. She emphasized that China and Antigua and Barbuda have always been good friends and good partners featuring mutual respect, understanding and affinity, expressing the expectation that people-to-people and cultural exchanges continue to scale new heights.

Through diverse performances including Chinese songs, dances, calligraphy and poetry recitals, the contestants fully demonstrated their Chinese proficiency and understanding of Chinese culture, perfectly interpreting the essence of civilizational exchanges bridged by language and bonded by culture.