Demand for Chinese classes is surging in Pakistan, and the skyrocketing number of people applying to take language exams has amazed Zhang Daojian, the Chinese director of the Confucius Institute in Islamabad, the capital.

"Last year, the number of people who applied to take Chinese proficiency tests, including the HSK, exceeded 1,000. The number of applicants for the first test this year is 1,209," he said.

Zhang's institute provides language courses and tests designed specifically for foreign students.