Organized by the Office of Chinese Language Council International and co-hosted by the College Board of the United States and the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development of the Republic of Korea (ROK), the welcome ceremony for the Chinese Bridge for American and ROK Schools Delegation was held at the Great Hall of the People on June 26, 2007. Zhou Ji, Minister of Education of China, and Kong Quan, Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, gave speeches at the welcome ceremony. The following are the main contents of their speeches. Minister Zhou Ji Addresses the Welcome Ceremony for the Chinese Bridge for American and ROK Schools Delegation

June 26, 2007

Confucius, the great Chinese thinker and educator, once said, "Isn't it delightful to have friends visiting from distant lands?" For more than 2,000 years, Chinese people have greeted friends visiting from afar with these words. Today, you, 800 American and 200 Korean school principals and education administrators, are gathered here to discuss with your Chinese counterparts plans and agendas for education. This is an unprecedented event in the histories of educational exchange between China and the United States and between China and the Republic of Korea. On behalf of the Ministry of Education of China, I would like to extend my warmest welcome to all the principals and education administrators present today. My sincere thanks go to the College Board of the United States and the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development of ROK for their great efforts and contributions in making this event possible.

In his statement at the UN's 60th anniversary summit, Chinese President Hu Jintao made the following remarks: "Building a harmonious world where all civilizations coexist and accommodate one another is a common aspiration of all the people in the world. Only by enhancing intercultural exchanges, learning from each other to make up deficiencies, and seeking common grounds while putting aside differences, can we do away with the misgivings and estrangements between different civilizations and make humanity more harmonious and the world more colorful."

Languages are the premises of cultural exchanges. Intercultural understanding has to start from our youth. The teaching of foreign languages and the fostering of new generations who are well versed not only in their own native tongues but also in the languages and cultures of other nations are the unshrinkable obligations of all educators across the world.

The Chinese Government has always attached great importance to foreign language education. From the third year of elementary school all the way up to the universities, English is a compulsory subject for all students. Currently, the number of Chinese students learning English has exceeded 200 million. For many years, we have also placed great value on teaching the Korean language. More than 1,000 universities across the nation are now offering Korean language courses. A "Korean culture wave" is enormously popular among the younger generations of China. Foreign language education has facilitated the opening up of China, boosted our exchanges with the rest of the world and deepened our understanding of the world's cultural diversity.

The last several years have witnessed an upsurge in Chinese language learning in the United States and Korea. The soaring popularity of the Chinese language not only is needed by China if China is to open wider to the rest of the world and have more international contacts and exchanges, but also is required by the rest of the world if they want to know more about China and enhance exchanges in economic, cultural and educational fields. By visiting China at this time, you are experiencing Chinese language and culture in preparation for the launching of Chinese courses in your schools. I have high respect and appreciation for your insights and great vision. The Ministry of Education of China will support your work to the very best of its ability. It is my hope that this trip will leave you with a pleasant impression of China, deepen your understanding of the country and help promote exchanges and cooperation in education between China and the United States, and between China and Korea.

Young people represent the future, the flower of a country and the hope of the world. As hard-working gardeners, all of us are committed to the noblest mission in this world. As we are united by a common objective, let's join hands in writing a new chapter in education for China, America and Korea, in order to make still greater contributions to the building of a harmonious world. Finally, I wish your visit to China a complete success.

The Chinese Language: The Bridge of Our Friendship

Kong Quan, Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

It is a great honor for me to be invited to attend the welcome ceremony for the Chinese Bridge for American and Korean Schools Delegation. On behalf of China's Foreign Ministry, I would like to extend my warmest welcome to the education envoys of the United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK).

In an era of knowledge-based economy and economic globalization, China's exchanges with the rest of the world have become increasingly frequent. The world is more eager to understand China and, as a result, China's long history and splendid culture have become even more attractive. To spread the Chinese language to the rest of the world, not only meets the need to know about China and to communicate with the Chinese people, but also provides a viable way for China to contribute to the world's cultural diversity.

According to statistics, there are over 30 million people learning Chinese outside China. More than 2,500 universities in over 100 countries around the globe provide Chinese courses. These figures are bound to increase by leaps and bounds in the future. In the United States, over 800 universities have Chinese language departments and many high schools offer Chinese courses. In Korea, Chinese learners have increased substantially. Two-thirds of over 300 universities have introduced Chinese courses and Chinese language institutes can be found in major cities across Korea. Meanwhile, Korean students constitute the largest overseas student group in China. We applaud the establishment of the first Confucius Institute in Seoul in November 2004. Now, as a global brand, more than 100 Confucius institutes in over 50 countries are committed to disseminating Chinese culture and promoting Chinese language education.

Two thousand and six hundred years ago, Confucius, the great Chinese educator and thinker, had a dream to travel overseas by raft to spread his thoughts such as "all within the four seas are brothers" and "seeking harmony not uniformity." Since then, enormous changes have taken place. However, his thoughts are still relevant and full of wisdom.

This year marks the 28th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the United States, and the 15th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Korea. The Sino-American and the Sino-ROK relationships keep deepening and growing. It is of great significance for the Ministry of Education of China to invite you to China.

It is my hope that, with your personal experience, you will take your knowledge of Chinese history and culture back home to stimulate the interest of young Americans and Koreans in learning Chinese, to help them appreciate the inherent nature of Chinese culture toward peace and harmony, and to understand China's aspiration to build "a harmonious society" and "a harmonious world." They will be envoys of Sino-American and Sino-ROK friendship.

I hope the Chinese language will serve as a broad bridge, on which all the people who cherish cultural diversity can learn from each other, understand each other and respect each other.