The third collaborative agreement for enhancing proficiency in Putonghua was signed by City University of Hong Kong (CityU) and the State Language Commission (SLC) on 2 June.

The Putonghua Training and Assessment Centre at CityU was established in 2005 to help people improve their Putonghua competence through the National Putonghua Proficiency Test.

The test has been administered 11 times in Hong Kong and taken on 6,000 occasions by a rising number of trainees and candidates with a 94% success rate.

Professor Yao Xishuang, Director of the Institute of Applied Linguistics of the Ministry of Education and Putonghua Training and Assessment Centre of the SLC, and Professor Way Kuo, President of CityU, officiated at the ceremony. Guests of honour attending the ceremony included: Ms Li Weihong, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Education and Director of the SLC; Mr Ji Jianjun, Division Chief of Education, Science and Technology Department, Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR; Mr Han Qizhou, Vice Director of the Institute of Applied Linguistics, Ministry of Education and SLC’s Putonghua Training and Assessment Centre; Professor Gary Feng Gang, CityU’s Associate Provost, Ms Jennifer Ng Glok-hong, Principal of the Community College of City University (CCCU) and Ms Wanda Lau Woon-yee, Vice Principal (Academic) of CCCU.

In his speech, Professor Kuo said tremendous progresses have been made in the popularisation of Putonghua in Hong Kong through collaborative efforts. “CityU has joined the efforts to promote Putonghua since 1996 and made significant accomplishments. I am glad that CityU is able to contribute to the popularisation of Putonghua in Hong Kong,” Professor Kuo said.

Professor Yao said CityU’s Putonghua Training and Assessment Centre has introduced innovative ways to promote Putonghua since its establishment and organised many well received activities. “I believe the innovative Putonghua Training and Assessment Centre at CityU, under the leadership of Professor Kuo, will contribute to the realisation of our vision in popularising Putonghua in Hong Kong,” Professor Yao added.

A series of celebratory activities were organised to mark the 15th anniversary of the test being held in Hong Kong. One such event was a Putonghua recital at CityU on 31 May. In attendance were Mr Song Bo, Deputy Director of the Office for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs, Ministry of Education, Professor Yao and other senior SLC staff and members of the provincial test centres.