Editor's Note: Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived here on Wednesday and began his state visit to the Republic of Kazakhstan. Over the past 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, China-Kazakhstan relations have progressed by leaps and bounds and China has been rising in popularity as a destination for Kazakh students.

Peking University, September 15, 2022: Malika Zhang, a third-year undergraduate student from PKU School of Sociology, is also among the more than ten thousand Kazakh students in China.


01 Love for Chinese calligraphy

The 22-year-old student has been learning Chinese for more than ten years since the age of 12 and a love for Chinese characters and calligraphy sparked her interest in the language. In addition, she hoped to be able to travel around China after mastering the language. With these in mind, she set off to learn Chinese and transferred to a Chinese high school in 2011. Of course, learning Chinese wasn't a bed of roses for her but she is thankful for all her Chinese peers and teachers who have helped her along the way and taught her more about the wonders of Chinese culture, from folk customs to traditional medicine.

02 Interest in Sociology


She decided to study Sociology at PKU as she has always been fascinated by the subject and had read multiple books on anthropology since she was young. The ethnological similarities and differences between Kazakhstan and China were also significant factors in drawing her to China. After eight years in China, she is in awe of the country's fast-paced development, especially in Beijing where she stays.

03 Food delivery has been  a great innovation in life

When asked about something that amazes her a lot, she chuckled and pointed out that the efficient waimai (food delivery) system is something that isn't present back home and this convenient service has been a big boon to her life. The Chinese around her have also been "nice, hardworking, and outgoing" and she has been pleased to meet them.

04 Secrets of mastering Chinese

Malika believes that everyone has their own secrets to mastering a language and the results differ for each person. Yet to her, the most efficient way to learn a language is to "talk to Chinese speakers as much as possible and understand Chinese culture simultaneously" so she has been using it as much as she can.

05 Sino-Kazakh ties


In addition, she gave her opinions on the rise in Kazakh students pursuing their studies in China. She believes that China is a fast-developing and friendly neighbour and the younger generation is interested in the Chinese language and culture. In addition, the tight economic, cultural and political cooperation between both countries also provides an impetus since learning Chinese is a ticket to more job opportunities.

“ We are proud of Malika and hope more Kazakh students can join us soon on our beautiful PKU campus in the coming years!”

Writted by: Ng Joong Hwee
Edited by: Hu Shaocong
Designed by: Lean Zhi Xuan