World Chinese Language Conference kicks off in Beijing

The 2024 World Chinese Language Conference opened in Beijing on Thursday, attracting over 2,000 participants, including government officials, school principals, experts, scholars, representatives of teachers and students, and diplomatic envoys from more than 160 countries and regions.

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the event, which was read out by Vice President Han Zheng at the opening ceremony of the meeting.

In his letter, Xi congratulated the Confucius Institute on the 20th anniversary of its establishment.

He noted the Chinese language, which encapsulates the millennia-old wisdom of Chinese civilization, is an important public cultural product that China has contributed to the world.

Xi expressed the hope that the conference will enhance interconnection and integration, build consensus, and strive to build bridges for linguistic connectivity, mutual understanding, mutual trust, and mutual learning between civilizations, thus contributing to jointly building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Noting that President Xi attaches great importance to international Chinese education, Han said the flourishing of international Chinese education has opened important windows for people around the world to learn Chinese, established bridges of communication for enhancing friendship between China and other nations, and provided a broad platform for the exchange and mutual learning between different civilizations. 　 The vice president pointed out that China has proposed and actively implemented the Global Civilization Initiative, and is committed to strengthening international cultural exchanges and cooperation.

China places high importance on international Chinese education and language exchange cooperation, and will continue to vigorously support countries in their efforts to promote Chinese education, helping more overseas individuals learn about Chinese language and culture, and gain a true, multi-dimensional and panoramic understanding of China, he said.

He noted that through the conference, institutions from domestic and abroad, as well as international Chinese educators are expected to exchange ideas, build consensus, and contribute wisdom and strength to the high-quality development of international Chinese education, the enhancement of mutual understanding and friendship among the people of various countries, and the promotion of exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations.

Representatives from domestic and across the world including former Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Anatoly Tozik, who also serves as the chairman of Belarusian-Chinese Friendship Society and Cambodian deputy prime minister Hang Chuon Naron, also the country's Minister of Education, Youth and Sport, addressed the meeting.

Before the opening of the event, Han also visited an exhibition showcasing the innovative progress achieved on international Chinese eduction and by the Confucius Institute.

Themed "Interconnection, Integration, Inheritance, Innovation," the 2024 World Chinese Language Conference is hosted by the Chinese Ministry of Education.

World Chinese Language Conference kicks off in Beijing

President Xi Jinping's state visit is a highlight of China-Peruvian relations and will lead to further cooperation projects, said Chinese ambassador to Peru Song Yang.

Xi arrived in Peru's capital Lima on Thursday to attend the 31st APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and pay a state visit to the Latin American country at the invitation of Peruvian President Dina Boluarte.

When Xi arrived at the Callao Air Base in Lima, he was warmly welcomed by Peruvian Prime Minister Gustavo Adrianzen and other senior officials. Ambassador Song welcomed Xi at the airport and expressed optimism about the potential outcomes of the visit.

"Both China and Peru are ancient civilizations. They have a long history of friendship and deep people-to-people exchanges. Our cooperation is now presenting a new landscape. President Xi Jinping, who is visiting Peru for the third time, has given many instructions and promoted cooperation between the two countries. Through the leadership provided by heads of state, China-Peru cooperation has reached a new horizon. We will further consolidate the foundation of our friendship and cooperation and expand the scope of future cooperation for the benefit of the people of both countries. So today should be considered a significant moment for Lima and a highlight of our practical friendship," Song said.

Song believes the visit will yield tangible advancements in political trust, pragmatic cooperation, and cultural exchange.

"President Xi Jinping decided to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership with Peru eleven years ago, resulting in fruitful outcomes over the years. He has proposed the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative. We can see that Peru fully supports these three major initiatives, as we both uphold multilateralism and work together to maintain world peace and security, taking on greater responsibilities in these areas. I am confident that with the successful completion of this state visit, many projects will come to fruition. And our future task will be advancing these pragmatic cooperation projects, which is worth looking forward to," he said.

Despite the geographical distance, Song highlighted the psychological closeness between the two countries。

"I feel at home here. There is a brotherly bond and a sense of kinship. Wherever we go, we see the Peruvian people greeting us with smiles and open arms. I believe this is a solid foundation of public support for us, as well as a reflection of our cultural commonality," he said.

Xi's visit to Peru marks highlight of bilateral cooperation: Chinese ambassador