Athens is not a city like western European metropolises like London and Paris where Chinese restaurants stand almost everywhere and Chinese tourists fill all the must-see places. That's why you feel surprised when hearing an Olympic volunteer speak mandarin Chinese in the Olympic city.

Thalia Milliou, a 23-year-old sweet girl, is working in an official Olympic merchandise shop at the Main Press Center during the fortnight Games, but as an economics major in the Athens University, she has already set her sights on doing business with the rising China, now the world's six biggest economy.

"China is the future of the world," said the smiling Thalia, who has a Chinese name as Tan Liya, meaning beautiful Asia. "China has already become an economic power in the world."

With future in mind, Thalia chose to study Chinese soon after entering the university.

"It's very important to study Chinese for us economics students," she said. "China now has very close relations with the European Union. And a lot of my classmates agree with me."

A few years ago, the first Asian language in Athens might be Japanese, but now Chinese is the students' first choice.

"We have 30 students studying Chinese in my first year, and in the second there are still 15 in my class."

"We all know that China is the future and Japan is the past," she said.

But the Athens-born Thalia is not as a pragmatic girl as it sounds. The other reason which promoted her to learn Chinese is that she thinks the Chinese language is "beautiful" and "harmonious."

"Everything of the language is well organized and harmonious," she said.

Besides the language, Thalia is also a kungfu fan and has been learning the martial arts for three years.

"It's really fantastic," she said.

Thalia, who will be a junior after the Olympic Games, said she will further her study of Chinese for another three years and then might go study in China.

"I hope to pass an exam in three years and study in China," she said. "China is the future of the world."

Source: Xinhua