China's Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (BUPT) and the University of the South Pacific (USP) in Fiji has signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a Confucius Institute dedicated to offering Chinese language and culture courses at the USP, according to Fiji's Ministry of Information on Wednesday.

The ministry said in its media release that the BUPT-USP agreement on Tuesday is supported by the Confucius Institute headquarters in Beijing, known as "Haban".

The Confucius Institute in the USP will be the first of its kind in the Pacific Island nation and is expected to be operational by the end of the year.

Speaking after signing the document with the USP, BUPT Vice President Ren Xiaomin was full of praise for his USP colleagues and emphasized the important role Confucius had on the Chinese education system.

"This is another step towards increased relations between our countries," Ren said, adding "USP is a wonderful candidate for the establishment of the institute." He promised. "BUPT will strive to develop and promote more development programs between our institutions."

USP Vice Chancellor Professor Rajesh Chandra said in a statement that the signing was a solid platform to begin co- operation with Chinese universities, highlighting the need for tertiary institutions to begin cooperating with their overseas counterparts.

By the end of 2010, 322 Confucius Institutes and 369 Confucius classrooms had been established in 96 countries and regions around the world.

(CCTV.com.cn February 25, 2011)