The branch of the Confucius Institute at the University of São Tomé and Príncipe received a positive response to its latest effort to advertise its courses on Chinese language and culture, the Téla Nón website reports.

The São Toméan website says the branch held a promotional event last week at the Liceu Nacional, the biggest secondary school in São Tomé and Príncipe, and that most of the pupils attending expressed interest in studying Chinese.

The report quotes Lúcio Magalhães, the branch director, as saying knowing Chinese, a language widely used for business, can help people find jobs.

Mr Magalhães said learning Chinese is a stepping stone towards scholarships for São Toméans wishing to study at universities in China.

Hubei University in central China helped set up the Confucius Institute branch at the University of São Tomé and Príncipe in 2019, Téla Nón says.