On February 28, the Consulate General of China in Chicago, in collaboration with Shanghai Media Group, hosted reception for the screening of the documentary “Chinese Puzzle”. Consul General Wang Baodong and Deputy Consul General Zhang Yiqi attended the event. More than 70 participants, including the representatives of those featured in the documentary such as Professor Galal Walker, the director of the East Asian Languages and Literature Center at Ohio State University, along with teachers and students from the Midwest region of the U.S., took part in the event.

    In his speech, Consul General Wang introduced the global rise of the “Chinese language wave” and the growing enthusiasm for Chinese culture. He creatively used the meanings of Chinese characters like “ren” (人), “mei” (美), and “xin” (信) to vividly illustrate China’s traditional values of trustworthiness, harmony, and peaceful coexistence among nations. He called for further communication and understanding between China and the U.S., as well as expanding exchanges and cooperation. Additionally, he welcomed more American students to participate in the initiative of “inviting 50000 young American students to visit China in the next 5 years”, proposed by President Xi Jinping in November 2023, and emphasized the importance of passing on the torch of friendship between the two peoples for generations to come.

    The documentary was produced by Shanghai Media Group, after traveling across 15 American states and interviewing more than 40 Americans who were deeply involved in learning and teaching of the Chinese language and culture. It presented a panoramic picture of the current development of Chinese language teaching and learning in the U.S..