KYZYL, September 2. /TASS/. The importance of the Chinese language will keep increasing due to the fact that the growth rate and volume of China's economy are higher than in other countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with school students in Kyzyl, the capital of Russia’s Siberian region of Tuva.

"The growth rate of China's economy is higher than the growth rate of other economies in the world. This gap between the Chinese economy and others, including the US economy, will grow. In any case, in the near future, in the near historical perspective, these are obvious things. <…> The volume of the economy in China is already significantly higher, and the gap is constantly increasing, so the importance of the Chinese language will certainly increase," the President said.

Putin noted that one should not forget about the role and significance of the Russian language, first and foremost as a language that unites all the peoples of the Russian Federation and as a language that helps in communication with other countries.

"This is one of the official languages of the UN, it is spoken by more than 300 million people in the world. We must do everything to maintain its level and status both within the country and with our closest friends, neighbors, and allies," Putin said.