Confucius Institutes to Have Beijing Headquarters

The Confucius Conference raised its curtain in Beijing Thursday. State Councilor Chen Zhili attended the gathering and delivered a speech, the Beijing News reported Friday. Principals from more than 80 Confucius Institutes from 37 countries attended the conference to discuss the methods of teaching Mandarin (standard Chinese language) and Chinese culture in foreign countries, and consulted with one another about the constitutions of the upcoming Confucius Institute headquarters in Beijing.

China has been founding Confucius Institutes around the world to teach Chinese and spread Chinese culture and traditions. So far, more than 80 Confucius institutes and schools have been established worldwide. The number of foreigners studying Chinese has reached 30 million, Chen said. With communication between China and other countries rapidly increasing, Mandarin is becoming more important globally.

Given the growing number of Confucius Institutes around the globe, the Chinese Language Council International (CLCI) decided to establish the Confucius Institute headquarters in Beijing on July 7 to oversee and coordinate their activities. It is reported that the CLCI has signed agreements with five foreign universities including Scotland's University of Edinburgh, the University of Duesseldorf in Germany, and the Belarusian State University to help develop Confucius institutes.  (Source: China Daily)