Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong with officials from the University of Pittsburgh. (Photo : www.news.pitt.edu)
Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong has called for further educational exchanges between China and the United States during her visit on June 19 at the Confucius Institute in the University of Pittsburgh, a prestigious academy of higher education in Pennsylvania in the U.S., the Xinhua News Agency reported.
Liu stressed the importance of the exchange between young people of China and U.S. as a way to gain more public support and build stronger relations between the two countries. She also expressed her belief that languages embody the people's specific cultures, and learning a foreign language is the key to understanding the world better and ensuring a better chance for a brighter future.
The Chinese VP cited that more than 300 million people in China are learning English, while more than 3.5 million students are enrolled in about 487 Confucius Institutes and 894 Confucius Classrooms in 133 countries.
The Chinese leader also said that Confucius Institutes have become an essential platform for exchange programs between China and the U.S., as she noted that in the United States, there are more than 300,000 students enrolled in 107 Confucius Institutes and 451 Confucius classrooms across the country.
During her visit, Liu also announced that 50 students from Confucius Institute at Pittsburgh University have been invited by the Chinese government to participate in "Chinese Bridge Summer Camp" in China. She also announced the government's scholarship offers for 10 students of the Confucius Institute to study in Chinese universities
The Chinese official also turned over 1,000 books and reading materials on Chinese culture as donation to the University of Pittsburgh.
Liu noted that increasing the number of young Chinese and young Americans studying each other's languages would help improve the cooperation and friendship between the peoples of the two countries.
Patrick Gallagher, chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh, said that the Confucius Institute in Pittsburgh has helped students become more competitive in the world by enhancing their language skills.
Co-founded by Wuhan University and the American university in 2007, the Confucius Institute at the University of Pittsburgh has established more than 70 schools with over 300 classes teaching nearly 4,000 students enrolled.
During her stay in the city, Liu also met with Intel CEO Brian Krzanich and Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto. She also attended the 10th anniversary of the Chunhui Cup Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition for Overseas Chinese Students.
Liu is also scheduled to go to Washington D.C. to attend the sixth Consultation on People-to-People Exchange scheduled to be held next week with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry as co-chair.
