Cross-Cultural Exchange: Confucius Institute Conference held in Southwest China's Chengdu

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The Confucius Institute has convened its 13th annual meeting in southwest China's Chengdu City. The event has attracted more than 15 hundred participants coming from over 150 countries and regions. CGTN reporter Meng Qingsheng caught up with participants there and explains the roles played by the Confucius Institute in bridging cultural disparities.

Practicing traditional Chinese calligraphy using modern technology. Kamila has been learning Chinese at a Confucius Institute in San Diego for eight years. Now, the 12-year-old has developed a keen interest in Eastern culture.

KAMILA CARTER US MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT "I really like Chinese, because just characters and culture. It's just wonderful, different from any other languages. You can see the meaning just in the words. So they are also easy to memorize."

The conference this year highlights efforts to push for reform and innovation. Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan spoke at the annual meeting's opening ceremony.

SUN CHUNLAN CHINESE VICE PREMIER "Through joint efforts between Chinese and its foreign partners, the quality of education at the Confucius Institute has steadily increased, with more active cultural exchanges and continuously enhanced service capability."

The Institute says, by the end of 2018, there will be more than 500 of the schools operating across the world, along with thousands of Confucius classrooms and teaching sites. Participants have hailed its pivotal role in forging new connections.

KEITH BURNETT, CHAIR SHEFFIELD CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE "We put part of the Confucius Institute right into our manufacturing institute. In that way, it's obvious that when we have visitors, you not only can learn about manufacturing but might want to do business with China. You can actually go to the Confucius Institute classes and learn about it that way."

The conference includes dozens of forums and workshops, among other brainstorming sessions. It's aimed at improving internal management and teaching quality. Companies offering learning technologies and publications have also attended the event.

MENG QINGSHENG CHENGDU, SICHUAN "Since the first Confucius Institute was established 14 years ago, experts have worked out nearly seven thousand types of books in 80 different languages to facilitate Chinese learning. These reading materials have become important tools to promote cultural exchanges among the program's 1.8 million students across the globe."

The gathering marked the launching of new Confucius Institutes in nine countries, among them, El Salvador. The Central American country established diplomatic ties with China just three months ago.

ROGER ARIAS, PRESIDENT UNIVERSITY OF EL SALVADOR "It's a historic day for us. We've signed an agreement to set up a Confucius Institute in my university, which will promote bilateral cultural exchanges. Besides, our government has worked out deals to strengthen trade and economic cooperation with China. That will further enhance mutual understanding."

For Kamila, she has decided to continue her Chinese learning and see different parts of the world.

KAMILA CARTER US MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT "I feel like communication is really important. So probably when I am older, I will do something connected with Chinese and languages, and communication, just really expressing how important communication is in this world."

So far, about 170 countries and regions have opened Chinese language courses. It's just one of the efforts made by the Confucius Institute to broaden cross-cultural communication. Meng Qingsheng, CGTN, Chengdu, Sichuan Province.