On February 7, State Councilor Chen Zhili attended the board-unveiling ceremony for Vancouver Confucius Institute under the British Columbia University of Technologies, the first Confucius institute established in Canada.

Languages made a vehicle for both communication and understanding of another culture, Chen Zhili said. Learning each other's language between China and Canada was an effective way to understand and to love each other's culture. Chinese government gave much importance to learning English by Chinese nation. So far, English has become the most popular foreign language among Chinese people. Meanwhile, 39 Canadian colleges and 307 middle schools have included Chinese language into their curricula, a fact that shows the great interest among Canadian people in learning Chinese language and understanding China. As a great philosopher and education master, Confucius' thinking is still exerting a profound impact on Chinese education even today. The establishment of the first Canadian Confucius Institute will surely benefit Canadian learners, meet their need to learn more about China, and be an bridge to facilitate cultural and educational exchanges among the two nations.

The friendship between the two nations, Chen Zhili said, had a long history. Since the founding of the diplomatic relationship 36 years before, the relationship between the two countries had gained a rapid growth, particularly during the visit by Chinese President Hu Jintao in last September the two countries had established a strategic partnership to open a bigger room for cooperation in other fields.

After the speech, Chen Zhili, together with Ms. Bond, vice governor of British Columbia, unveiled the board for the Confucius Institute.

The first Confucius institute in the world was founded in Seoul on November 21, 2004. The Confucius institute, unlike colleges on a common sense, is an institute aiming to promote Chinese culture, education and cultural exchanges. By cooperation between China and other countries, 100 Confucius institutes will be founded shortly in the world.

The British Columbia University of Technologies currently offers 6 elemental courses about China including business Chinese class.