Expert: Russia ranks 6th in world by number of Chinese language exam candidates

In 2025, Russia ranked sixth in the world by the number of people wishing to take the Chinese language proficiency exam. This was stated by Liu Xiaolong, a representative of the company providing services for taking the exam. His words were reported by the Belt and Road News Network (BRNN), a partner of TV BRICS.

The so-called HSK exam is a standardised qualification test required for admission to Chinese universities, for working with Chinese partners and for confirming language proficiency.

“In 2025, the number of exam candidates reached 29,917 people, which placed Russia 6th in the world,” Liu Xiaolong said.

Cao Shihai, Minister-Counsellor at the Embassy of China in Russia, also noted the growing popularity of language exchange between the two countries and mutual interest in student educational programmes.

“More than 360 schools in Russia have introduced Chinese language as part of their curriculum. There are 19 Confucius Institutes, 5 Confucius Classrooms and numerous other educational institutions in the country where Chinese is taught. More than 70,000 Chinese students are studying in Russia, while the number of Russian students in China has reached 28,000,” the diplomat said.

Beijing remains one of the main centres for promoting the language and student exchange, said Zou Ling, Deputy Secretary of the Beijing Municipal Education Commission. According to him, 57,000 international students from 184 countries and regions of the world are currently studying in the Chinese capital. Around 100 universities and research institutes in the city are authorised to enrol international students, the expert noted.

Earlier, Russia and China announced 2026–2027 as Cross Years of Cooperation in Education. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a ceremonial launch of the Years of Cooperation on 20 May in Beijing during Putin’s official visit to China.