On January 24, the Tianjin University Debate Team emerged victorious in the 11th International Chinese Debating Competition, defeating teams from Tsinghua University, Peking University, China University of Political Science and Law, South China University of Technology, University of Macau, and others, to clinch the overall championship.

The 11th International Chinese Debating Competition took place from January 19 to 24 in Shanghai. A total of 24 domestic and international universities, including Tsinghua University, Peking University, Nanjing University, and the London School of Economics and Political Science, participated in the competition. This edition of the International Chinese Language Debate Invitational Tournament was divided into four stages: preliminary rounds, quarterfinals, semifinals, and the grand final. The Tianjin University Debate Team achieved an undefeated record in five debate matches over the course of four days, presenting a series of intellectual feasts for both on-site and online audiences.

The 11th International Chinese Debating Competition, one of the premier events in Chinese language debating, has evolved into one of the highest-level competitions following in the footsteps of the International University Debate Championship. Through Chinese language debates, this tournament showcases the linguistic charm of Mandarin, fostering communication and exchange among participating countries' universities and youth. It plays a crucial role in promoting the global dissemination of the Chinese language.

Under the guidance of Coach Xie Yu, six members from the Tianjin University Debate Team participated in the competition. They are Li Minglun, Wang Chunshen, Tang Long, Sun Chaoran, Zhu Danni, and Zhang Xuning. Among them, Wang Chunshen earned the title of the Best Speaker of the overall Tournament.

Upholding the team motto of "learning and communicating through debating, and seeking constant improvements of oneself and others”, the Tianjin University debate team has achieved remarkable success over the past two decades. They secured the championship at the World Chinese Debating Championship in 2015 and 2021, as well as the World Chinese Debating Championship in 2017. In 2018, the Tianjin University debate team reached the top of the World Chinese Debating Championship rankings, becoming the first team from Chinese mainland to claim the prestigious title of world number one. Currently, the team has won the championship at the International Chinese Debating Invitational, successfully sweeping the titles in the three major debating competitions. They have become the first university debate team in China to achieve victories in all three major debating events.

By Li Jiexuan

Editor: Eva Yin