Participants in the first World Chinese Conference (WCC) have reached consensus for the shared goal of developing the world's diversified culture and building a harmonious world, Zhou Ji, director of the State Leading Group for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language, said in Beijing Friday at the conference's closing ceremony.

The two-day conference attracted nearly 600 government officials, Sinologists and Chinese teachers from 67 countries and regions to discuss the present and future of teaching Chinese overseas, with the theme of "The Development of Chinese in a Multicultural World."

Developing foreign language teaching worldwide is required to protect the diversified cultures of human beings. It is also of great significance to boosting dialogue and communication among different civilizations, thus pushing forward a multicultural world.

Zhou said, "We all believe that to educate people in foreign languages is conducive to maintaining world peace, since language is the best and most crucial tool to help strengthen mutual understanding among people. Foreign language study can also help people enhance mutual respect."

Zhou, also minister of education, pointed out that a nation should develop foreign language study while helping others learn its own language. "This is a shared duty and interest common for us all, since each nation is willing to be better understood by others."

(Xinhua News Agency July 23, 2005)