Intl Chinese learning seeks to build a diverse and open ecosystem

Detailed summary

"International Chinese language education is no longer just about language teaching; it is working toward building a more diverse, open and collaborative educational ecosystem,"…

"International Chinese language education is no longer just about language teaching; it is working toward building a more diverse, open and collaborative educational ecosystem," Zhong Yinghua, president of the International Society for Chinese Language Teaching, said.

He made the remarks at the opening of the society's annual academic conference, held alongside the 2026 World Chinese Language Conference. This year's conference, themed "Chinese: More Than a Language", comes as demand for Chinese learning continues to grow worldwide. An estimated 210 million people overseas are learning or using the language. Center for Chinese Language and Professional Skills has also been established at Chinese-invested companies and industrial parks in 31 countries, with 45 sites in operation, creating new opportunities to apply Chinese in professional settings.

Since 2021, the society has worked with 36 Chinese and overseas journals to publish more than 1,900 papers on international Chinese language education. Following the release of the field's first core journal list in 2025, it has now introduced a list of 25 leading academic conferences, selected from 201 candidates, further strengthening the academic evaluation system.

The practical value of Chinese proficiency is also evident in Angola, where more than 400 Chinese companies operate in sectors including infrastructure, energy, telecommunications and industry.

"Learning Chinese is a strategic opportunity to acquire knowledge, receive education and find employment," Albano Vicente Lopes Ferreira, Angola's minister of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, said.

Young professionals with Chinese language skills can communicate directly with Chinese partners and participate in technical exchanges. As cooperation between the two countries expands into engineering, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, modern agriculture, renewable energy and biotechnology, Chinese proficiency is creating more opportunities…

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