The English-language abilities of students from the Chinese mainland impressed judges at the English Speaking Union's 2023 International Public Speaking Competition, in London, England.

Lucia Dumont Renard, a former president of the English Speaking Union's international council and former chairperson of ESU France who is a senior English public speaking training officer, said: "We were all amazed at their capacity to express themselves. It's excellent English."

The competition, which was held from May 8 to May 12, chose "Relations between nations are too important to be left to the government alone" as its theme for the final.

Since its foundation in 1918, the London-based ESU has been a membership organization that has been promoting better communication between people of all cultures. It has 54 international branches worldwide.

After three years that were impacted by the novel coronavirus pandemic, the ESU held an in-person contest, with contestants from more than 30 countries and regions competing and exchanging ideas, including two contestants from the Chinese mainland and two others from Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.