(This story was originally posted in Chinese here)

On September 27, 2022, Chinese Consul General Zhao Jian visited the Minnetonka School District. Superintendent David Law and the principals of five elementary and middle schools which offer immersion Chinese extended a warm welcome to Consul General Zhao and his delegation, and introduced him to the District's Chinese Immersion program.

In his speech, Consul General Zhao Jian celebrated the achievements of the Minnetonka School District's Chinese Immersion Teaching Project and the great efforts made by the schools and teachers in the District.

"Chinese language teaching has provided a key for the younger generation in the United States to increase their understanding of China, and the success of the Chinese immersion teaching program fully demonstrated the positive desire of the Chinese and American people to strengthen cultural exchanges and mutual learning," said Consul General Zhao. "I wish the Chinese language teaching program in Minnesota greater success, and hope that the young generations of the two countries will strengthen exchanges and jointly create a better future."

Consul General Zhao Jian was invited to visit Chinese immersion classes at Scenic Heights Elementary, where he spoke with fifth grade students in Chinese and answered questions. In a second grade science class, Consul General Zhao discussed understanding the life cycle of insects with the students in Chinese. In a third grade math class, Consul General Zhao played an arithmetic game in Chinese with students. Consul General Zhao Jian spoke highly of the lively teaching of the Chinese immersion class and the students' excellent Chinese ability, and encouraged the students to study Chinese hard and be ambassadors of friendly exchanges between the Chinese and American peoples.

The Minnetonka School District opened the Chinese immersion program in 2007, and currently more than 1,000 students from five schools are studying in the program.