LEUVEN, Belgium -- Several students from Belgian primary, secondary and higher education were awarded at the Belgian final round of a Chinese language skills competition here on Saturday.

They will be Belgium's representatives for this year's "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition.

The Belgian final round was organized by the Chinese Embassy in Belgium and the Group T-Academy Confucius Institute at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.

47 students from different schools in Belgium, accompanied by their parents, friends and acquaintances, took part in the competition.

Kiana Vanderbieren was the winner of the first prize in the secondary level competition, where there were 11 candidates.

This competition "has become an important platform for Chinese hobbyists around the globe to communicate with each other and test what they have learned, playing a significant role in promoting mutual learning between different cultures and forging closer bonds between people of different countries," said Chinese Ambassador to Belgium Cao Zhongming.

Since its launch in 2002, more than 1.5 million young learners from more than 120 countries and regions of the world have participated in the "Chinese Bridge" Chinese proficiency competition.