The first Confucius Institute Conference was held in Beijing on Thursday, attracting around 400 delegates from 38 countries and regions.

Chinese State Councilor Chen Zhili said at the opening ceremony that people all over the world can benefit from the Confucius Institute, which specializes in Chinese language and culture education.

"Language is the most important tool that helps promote mutual understanding and friendship among people," Chen said. The Chinese government encourages the Chinese people, especially young people, to learn foreign languages and cultures. At present, more than 300 million Chinese people are learning foreign languages.

With China's further opening up to the outside world, the Chinese language has attracted more attention from foreign countries and people, Chen said. Statistics show more than 30 million people worldwide are learning Chinese.

The Confucius Institute, a non-profit public institute, was initiated in 2004 to satisfy the surging overseas demand for Chinese language learning.

To date, a total of 80 Confucius Institutes have been launched in 36 countries and regions, and 99 institutes from 38 countries have applied to set up Confucius Institutes.

Chen said the Confucius Institutes in different countries and regions have developed in various ways in accordance with local situation and demand in respective countries and regions.

"From Confucius Institute, people not only learn Chinese language and culture, but also get a much clearer picture of a modern China," She said. "Therefore, Confucius Institute has been widely welcomed by the local communities overseas.

Nancy Jervis, vice-president of the China Institute in New York of United States, "dared not imagine" that "Chinese language could become so popular nowadays" when she first visited China in 1972.

Beyond her imagination, a total of 2,400 universities in the United States are now planning to set up Chinese language courses. And Chinese language in comparison with other languages, witnessed the largest increase of learners in recent years.

"It is of great significance to learn Chinese language, which belongs to a most populous nation with the fastest economic growth," Jervis said, adding she felt "honored" that the first Confucius Institute of the United States was established by the China Institute.

"Confucius Institute has become a platform for exchange with China rather than an educational institute," said Alain Mignot, vice president of the University of Poitiers, France.

Mignot revealed that his university was joining hands with the Chinese telecommunication company on multimedia software using Chinese language for the Air France. With the help of the software, people will get basic knowledge about China while flying with Air France.

Antonio Guiraraes Rodrigues, president of University of Miniho of Portugal, said the philosophy of Confucius was very popular among Portuguese people ever since Portugal and China contacted each other long time ago.

Ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius (551-479 BC) was the founder of Confucianism, which advocates the building of a harmonious society through an individual's self-refinement in manners and taste.

"The philosophy of Confucius has been passed on by generations both domestic and overseas, and some of his principles were still cherished and observed by the modern Chinese people," Rodrigues said. "Therefore, foreign people feel it necessary to first learn the Chinese thoughts before having dialogues with them."

He noted that more and more Portuguese merchants flock to the Confucius Institute at the University of Miniho to learn Chinese language and culture, since "none of them are willing to lose opportunity for trade with China."

Nagata Toyo Omi, president of the Ritsumeikan University of Japan, said a rapidly growing and further opening China attracted more attention from Japanese. People no longer focus their eyes only on the Chinese characters, but on life of ordinary people and various sectors of the Chinese society.

"Chinese language will soon become one of the most popular foreign language in Japan, and China is now a major destination for young people to study and work" he said.

According to him, a total of 2 million Japanese people are learning Chinese.

Africa far from China also witness an increasing enthusiasm for Chinese learning, said George Magoha, vice-chancellor of the University of Nairobi of Kenya that launched the first Confucius Institute in Africa.

He said the cooperation between African countries and China has developed into a new era with fields of cooperation expanding to science and technology, culture, education, tourism, from merely economy and trade in the past.

"The establishment of Confucius Institute in Africa marks the milestone of Africa-China culture exchange and friendship," Magoha said, stressing his belief that Confucius Institute will help African young people to have a broader view of the world and better participate in the global competition.

Chen Zhili said the Chinese government is willing to provide convenient service for people learning Chinese language and culture. China should give weight to the quality and impact of the promotion of Mandarin learning by intensifying the training of teachers, improving textbook design and print, and building more Confucius institutes overseas.

She said the founding of any Confucius Institute should obey the laws and respect the local customs of the respective country, and the Chinese experts will help their foreign counterpart to work out teaching method pinpointing local people's need.

China also plans to build more Confucius institutes which are operated on-line, according to Chen.

"It is the right time for us to promote Chinese language and culture, as the country is having more international contact and cooperation," said Wang Shenghong, president of Fudan University, one of the most prestigious universities in east China's Shanghai.

Statistics show by the year 2005, more than 500,000 foreign investment companies from 190-plus countries and regions were launched in China. Meanwhile more than 30,000 Chinese companies set up branches overseas.

In 2005, as many as 120 million overseas tourists came to China, and 31 million Chinese people had journey overseas.

It is estimated that 100 million people will learn Chinese by the year 2010, calling for at least four million Chinese teachers.

Facing such a great trend for international dialogues, China has announced to build 100 Confucius Institutes worldwide by the year 2010, Wang said.

(Xinhua News Agency July 7, 2006)