CRI听力:China Gains Popularity among Kazakhstan People

Media reports show China has become, as of last year, the second largest overseas study destination for Kazakhstan.

"Some of my classmates went to China. My brother and sister are also in China. I know people can get a good education there. There are a lot of people and ethnic groups. It's a beautiful country."

More and more Kazakh students are learning Chinese, especially after the founding of the first Confucius Institute in Kazakhstan nine years ago.

"There is a Confucius Institute in my college, which gives me easy access to learn Chinese. The institute not only teaches us the language, but also provides opportunities to study in China."

In 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping gave a speech on the Silk Road Economic Belt to students at Nazarbayev University. It was the first time the Chinese President proposed the initiative. The project aims to bring together Asia and Europe with closer trade and cultural ties. It involves 24 cities and eight countries.

As the cooperation on this project goes on, local people are excited about the opportunities it brings.

Galym Baithimbetov is a student at Nazarbayev University.

"We college students are very privileged to be able to be part of the building of the Silk Road Economic Belt. As an engineer, I'm not sure what I can do at the moment, but I have a lot of friends who have studied Chinese, gone to China and come back to Kazakhstan. I think they have better opportunities."

China and Kazakhstan established diplomatic relations in 1992 and have been engaged in cooperation in all fields, including energy, infrastructure construction and agriculture.

For CRI, this is Yunfeng.