The quest to learn Mandarin, a Chinese language, has increased among Afghans recently and many students said the ability to speak the language will boost economic relations between Afghanistan and China.

Students in Kabul said they are learning the language at private schools. Mandarin is also being taught at the faculty of literature at Kabul University.

“One of the ways that will help us to improve our knowledge is to learn different languages,” Jan Ali Yusufi, a Mandarin teacher said.

“I want to continue my education in China therefore I have started learning the language,” said Gul Shah Ghulami, a student.

Many Chinese tourists visit Afghanistan every year, but the country lacks guides who are able to speak the language.

“Mandarin is the language of economy in the world. I want to become a bridge between Afghanistan and China by learning the language,” said Mahdi, another student.

At least 1.1 billion people speak Mandarin in the world – which is commonly believed to be the most spoken language in the world.

It is also one of the six official languages of the United Nations.