Anna Hakobyan visits World Sinology Center in Qingdao, China

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 10, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s wife Anna Hakobyan visited the World Sinology Center on the second day of her visit to the Chinese city of Qingdao.

Hakobyan, the Executive Director of the My Step Charitable Foundation, was welcomed by the research center’s director, Professor Xu Baofeng.

Professor Baofeng presented the World Sinology Center’s mission and activities to Mrs. Hakobyan and her delegation. The center works to promote Chinese language and culture globally.

The professor expressed willingness to strengthen the Armenian-Chinese cultural, educational ties.

“We can cooperate with Armenian universities, open a sinology center in Armenia, so that more people in your country will be able to study China, Chinese language and Chinese culture. We are expressing our desire to enhance partnership,” Professor Baofeng said.

Mrs. Hakobyan thanked for the warm reception and interesting tour. She said that the Armenian side is likewise interested in strengthening partnership.

“Although political and economic relations are always in the focus in the relations of countries, I think it would be right to start from culture and language. I think now I am in the most appropriate place in terms of deepening the Armenian-Chinese cultural and educational relations,” Mrs. Hakobyan said.

Mrs. Hakobyan said that the Armenian education ministry is focused on the issue of opening a sinology center at one of the universities, and expressed hope that the Chinese side will consider opening a Center of Armenian Studies.

Professor Baofeng said that within the framework of promoting culture they would want to install the bust of a famous Armenian writer at the Beijing University of Languages and Culture, where renowned writers are traditionally honored in that way. 

Mrs. Hakobyan welcomed the initiative. Other cooperation initiatives were also discussed. The sides agreed to discuss further details during Professor Baofeng’s upcoming visit to Armenia in November.

The World Sinology Center Director then hosted a dinner in honor of Mrs. Hakobyan.

After the visit to the center, Mrs. Hakobyan gave an interview to Qingdao News. She said that this is her second visit to China and she is happy to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Women’s Forum.

“I am in China with a very busy agenda. Today I visited the World Sinology Center. The children played a wonderful national music, and I myself tried to play on those instruments. We also discussed the prospects of opening a center of Armenian studies in China and a center of Sinology in Armenia,” the Prime Minister’s wife told the news outlet. Mrs. Hakobyan said that she will have a meeting in Beijing with representatives of the Soong Ching Ling foundation.

Mrs. Hakobyan then visited downtown Qingdao and toured the city. She visited the St. Michael's Cathedral, a Catholic church, and met with the Bishop, who presented the church’s history and information regarding the local Christian community.