HAVANA, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Lilibel Gomez Garcia is the first Cuban undergraduate to represent Cuba at the 2011 "Chinese Bridge" language competition in China.

The competition, which aims to promote Chinese language and culture among university students worldwide, is taking place in China's central Hunan Province from July 16 to Aug. 8.

A third-year student at the Confucius Institute at the University of Havana, Gomez won the first prize of the National Chinese Language Proficiency Competition in May. Gomez was selected to represent Cuba in the upcoming competition because of the student's outstanding performance.

The three-phase competition is expected to attract 120 students from 60 countries.

Beijing and Havana have maintained excellent relations and cooperation based on mutual respect, friendship and common interest. The Chinese language is the second most popular foreign language for Cuban students.