Confucius Institutes/Classrooms Developing Rapidly Around the World

Auckland, July 13 - In Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand, Zhao Guocheng, Deputy Director of China's Hanban stated ,that as "Chinese fever" has heated up around the world in recent years, the Confucius Institute has made rapid developments. 316 Confucius Institutes and 337 Confucius Classrooms have been established in 94 countries.

Zhao Guocheng mentioned at the 2010 Oceania, West and South Asia Regional Meeting of Confucius Institutes that currently the number of overseas Chinese learners is 40 million. He hopes that the conference will contribute to the improvement of Chinese teaching and the initiation of new plans for the sustainable development of the Confucius Institutes.

Auckland University's Pro Vice Chancellor Christopher Tremewan explained that the Auckland University Confucius Institute was the first Confucius Institute to be established in New Zealand. With the signing of the New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement and closer links between China and New Zealand, more and more New Zealanders have began to learn China's language and culture.

As stated by Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Zhang Limin, so far, three Confucius Institutes and six Confucius Classrooms have been established in New Zealand to meet the increasing demand of New Zealanders for learning Chinese.

Currently, amongst the 2,000 plus schools in New Zealand, 89 have established Chinese programs. On July 9, New Zealand's Prime Minister John Key addressed the issue whilst attending the celebrations for the Pavilion Day of New Zealand at the Shanghai World Expo, expressing hopes for that schools in New Zealand open Chinese class.

Over 70 delegates hailing from 6 Chinese partnership schools and 20 Confucius Institutes of Oceania and West and South Asian countries participated in the regional meeting. Delegates shared with each other the achievements and unique characteristics of their Confucius Institutes and participated in animated discussions regarding Confucius Institutes' orientation, enrollment, promotion, teaching material development, training of local Chinese teachers, Chinese programs in primary and secondary schools and establishment of Confucius Classrooms.