On 14 December, Consul General Chen Shijie met with winners of the Chinese Bridge Competition, including Ella Rees Haszard from the University of Auckland, Caleb Jenkins and Tyler Jenkins from Selwyn College, Luke Theo Jenkins from Remuera Intermediate School, and Aidan Dallas Erik Jansz from Arahoe School.

Chen congratulated the students on their outstanding performances in the competition. He noted that the "Chinese Bridge" is not only a bridge of language and culture, but also a bridge of friendship. He encouraged them to continue to strengthen Chinese language studies, deepen understanding of Chinese culture exchange, and serve as a bridge for promoting people-to-people exchanges and cultural interactions between China and New Zealand. The students expressed their commitment to continuing their efforts in learning Chinese, in order to contribute to fostering mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples.