Deputy Minister of Education Tian Xuejun Pays Inspection Visit to Confucius Institute Headquarters

On June 14th, Deputy Minister of Education Tian Xuejun paid an inspection visit to the Confucius Institute (Hanban) and listened to its work report. He visited all offices and gave a speech to the staff.

Tian Xuejun fully acknowledged Confucius Institutes’ prominent achievement in facilitating people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries and in accelerating internalization of Chinese language. He said that the Confucius Institute has achieved leapfrog development in merely over a decade, explored a road to promote language and culture that features Chinese characteristics and that is consistent with international practice, vividly reflecting our increasingly strong cultural confidence and our harmonious co-existence with multi-civilizations in the world.

Tian Xuejun also pointed out that the construction of Confucius Institutes has entered a critical period for higher quality and efficiency after its rapid development these years. And Hanban is coming in a new phase of starting a new undertaking. We should thoroughly learn and implement the important instructions about the development of Confucius Institutes given by General Secretary Xi Jinping, have a deep understanding of the great historic opportunity for the development of Confucius Institutes, and intensify the sense of mission and responsibility to further develop Confucius Institutes. We should promote their reform and development and push the international education and promotion of Chinese language to a new high.

Tian Xuejun emphasized that quality is the lifeblood of Confucius Institutes. An all-round and fundamental reform should be oriented by problems and guided by high standard and improve all kinds of quality standard systems. We should well implement the Standards Project of International Chinese Language Education, further advance the reform on teachers, teaching materials and teaching methods, smooth the cooperation between Chinese and foreign sides, facilitate the integration of the Confucius Institutes with their associated university and local community, so as to make Confucius Institutes language and cultural institutions with teaching authority and inner attraction.

Tian Xuejun stated, “To forge iron, one must be strong”. The Party Committee of Hanban should strive to assume full responsibility for strict Party self-discipline, create a positive working atmosphere featuring unity and integrity, and strengthen the building of team of the leaders and cadres, fully implement the tasks in inspection and rectification, strictly observe the discipline in interaction with foreign parties, improve the cohesiveness and resilience of Hanban, and use excellent achievements to welcome the upcoming 19th CPC National Congress.