Delegation Headed by Hao Mingjian, Famous Linguist and Chief Editor of “Yao Wen Jiao Zi”, Visits UCLA Confucius Institute, USA

Los Angeles, Jan. 6th, 2011—Delegation led by former Vice-President of Shanghai Literature and Art Publishing House, Chief Editor of “Yao Wen Jiao Zi”(Insight into Chinese Characters and Idioms) and famous linguist Hao Mingjian visited the UCLA Confucius Institute, Los Angeles. Mr. Hao edited the “Yao Wen Jiao Zi for the purposes of standardizing the application of Chinese characters and maintaining the foundation of Chinese national language, which has evoked a strong response from domestic Chinese readers. In recent years, he has been paying much attention to the Confucius Institute, which has contributed greatly to Chinese promotion and cultural exchanges between China and other countries.

Dr. Susan Pertel Jain, Director of the Institute expressed her welcome to the delegation. She gave them a brief introduction as to the development and present situation of the Institute, the objectives and significance of Chinese teaching activities, and cultural exchange programs conducted in the Institute, and paid particular attention to explaining their involvement in the formulation of Chinese teaching standards in California, which stresses the systematicness and standardization of Chinese teaching. It is expected that this method of application will greatly promote Chinese education in California. Mr. Hao, who has always been committed to standardizing Chinese language and characters, showed a warm interest in the program and he raised many questions concerning the standards and put forward some suggestions and advice during the following talks.

At the end of the visit, the two sides expressed their desire to keep in touch and strengthen exchanges in the future and exert a concerted effort to promote the standardization of Chinese language and advance the cultural level of the Institute.