From November 15 to 17, the 2024 World Chinese Language Conference was held at the China National Convention Center in Beijing. Organized by the Ministry of Education of China, this year’s conference was themed “Interconnection and Integration, Inheritance and Innovation.” President Ma Huaide of China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL) was invited to attend the opening ceremony, and Vice President Lu Chunlong participated as delegate to the conference. Additionally, directors and board representatives from CUPL’s Confucius Institutes in Romania and Barbados attended the event.
(President Ma Huaide leads the CUPL delegation to the 2024 World Chinese Language Conference)
On the afternoon of November 15, the grand opening ceremony took place. Xi Jinping, President of China, sent a congratulatory letter to the conference, extending warm congratulations on the 20th anniversary of the Confucius Institutes. In the letter, President Xi Jinping highlighted that the Chinese language is a significant public cultural product contributed by China to the world. As the mother tongue state, China bears the responsibility of supporting and advancing Chinese language education globablly. President Xi expressed hope that the World Chinese Language Conference would serve as a platform to foster consensus, build bridges for linguistic communication, enhance mutual understanding and trust, and promote cultural exchange, contributing to the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity. Chinese Vice President Han Zheng read the President Xi’s congratulatory letter and delivered a speech. He emphasized the need for international Chinese language education to be more inclusive, resilient, high-quality, and dynamic, thereby contributing wisdom and strength to exchanges and mutual understanding among all civilizations. Hallam Henry, Ambassador of Barbados to China, along with other Chinese and international representatives, was invited to attend and deliver speeches at the ceremony. The ceremony was presided over by Minister of Education and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Huai Jinpeng.
(CUPL Vice President Lu Chunlong took a commemorative group photo with Nie Lu, Chinese Co-Director, and Ochieng Odhiambo, Director of the Board of the Confucius Institute in Barbados)
During the three-day 2024 World Chinese Language Conference, CUPL’s Confucius Institutes achieved multiple accomplishments
(Confucius Institute at Bangor University won the title of “Excellent HSK Test Center” again)
At the Global HSK Partner Conference, held as part of the World Chinese Language Conference, the Confucius Institute at the University of Bucharest (CI at BU) was once again honored with the title of “Excellent HSK Test Center”. Su Yu, Chinese Co-Director of the CI at BU, accepted the award on behalf of the institute.
(Wu Yan awarding a plaque of gratitude to Luminița Bălan)
During the Symposium Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Confucius Institutes, the Chinese International Education Foundation hosted a special appreciation event titled “The Brilliance of CI—20th Anniversary of Confucius Institutes.” Vice Minister of Education Wu Yan awarded plaques of gratitude to 41 distinguished individuals, including foreign dignitaries, sinologists, university presidents, and Confucius Institute directors, from 34 countries in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the development of Confucius Institutes. Romanian sinologist and CI at BU Co-Director Luminița Bălan was among the honorees.
At the Language Exhibition’s Release Zone, the Higher Education Press held a launch event for the new book Modern Languages 2: Chinese (Romanian Edition). The series, co-edited by Luminița Bălan and former Chinese Co-Director Li Li, is a deeply localized Chinese language learning resource tailored to Romanian learners. The textbook, set to be officially published in 2025, was introduced by Luminița Bălan at the event, which also featured remarks by Shao Yipeng, Director of the Teaching and Resource Office of the Center for Language Education and Cooperation, and Li Dandan, Director of the CUPL Confucius Institute Affairs Office.
During the conference, staff from CUPL’s International Cooperation and Exchange Office, along with representatives from CUPL Confucius Institutes, reflected on President Xi Jinping’s congratulatory letter. They pledged to use the letter’s spirit as guidance, uphold principles of openness, inclusiveness, and mutual learning, and promote win-win cooperation. CUPL expressed its determination to strengthen interconnection and integration between China and the international community, striving to create a new chapter in international Chinese language education.
It is reported that the 2024 World Chinese Language Conference welcomed over 2,000 participants from more than 160 countries and regions, including government officials, university presidents, experts, scholars, teachers, students, and diplomats based in China. Li Juqian, Director of CUPL’s International Cooperation and Exchange Office; Li Dandan, Director of the Confucius Institute Affairs Office; and Qu Xin, Deputy Director of the same office, accompanied CUPL’s delegation to the conference.
