The Confucius Institute of Turin, the third of its kind in Italy, was inaugurated on Wednesday at the University of Turin.

It was jointly founded by the University of Turin, East China Normal University and Italian Advanced Research Center on Contemporary China.

At the inauguration ceremony, representatives from the Italian side said China is playing an increasingly important role in world affairs. Today, more and more Italians want to learn Chinese and know about the Chinese culture.

They believed the foundation of the Turin Confucius Institute will further promote the exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.

Chinese delegates attending the opening ceremony echoed their views, saying the new Confucius institute will enhance the two sides' cooperation in teaching, research and cultural exchanges, and promote China-Italy relations.

The first Confucius institute in Italy was established at the University of Rome in 2006. The second was founded in the Italian port city of Naples in 2007.

The Chinese government started to set up non-profit Confucius institutes overseas in 2004. More than 200 Confucius institutes have been established so far around the world.

(Xinhua News Agency October 23, 2008)