Learn from hardworking Chinese and forge ties, says Kiponge

By MALIKAI BALANDU
NATIONAL Airports Corporation (NAC) chief executive officer and managing director Rex Kiponge says Chinese are very hardworking people who Papua New Guineans should emulate.
“We will benefit by learning from them and forging strong ties with China is beneficial,” he added.
Speaking at the second 21st Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Students’ preliminary round of the Confucius Institute in University of Technology (Unitech) in Lae on Friday, Kiponge said Unitech had made the right decision to teach the Chinese language.
A total of 30 students are participating in the competition.
Kiponge said learning the Chinese language was a way forward for Papua New Guineans and “we are trying to get our staff to learn the language as well”.
He said the NAC was negotiating with the institute in China’s Chongqing province to launch direct flights from Chongquing to Nadzab.
Institute director Zhang Xian said the students were doing well in their studies and the language and culture would be beneficial to them in the long-run.
“They are very talented in expressing in Chinese and culture, and we find that they really want to understand the culture, interpersonal communication and even plan to learn science and technology in China.
“They are eligible for scholarship in China (offered) by the Chinese Embassy,” he added.
Xian said the institute had about 200 students and about 600 in the Butuka Academy Secondary School in Port Moresby.
“Many major investments are now coming from China and if you know the language, it is going to be an added advantage for employment and business deals,” he added.