Source: CCTV.com

12-12-2007 10:24

It is only three years since the founding of the first Confucius Institute. More than two hundred such schools across the world are now offering a new window on China. Representatives from many countries have gathered in Beijing to discuss the significance of the phenomenon.

In this world of multiculturalism and economic globalization, you will be at an edge if you can speak the language of over a billion people. One out of four people in the world speaks Chinese. And about thirteen thousand people will also become Chinese speakers, as they study the language at Confucius Institutes.

Gary Sigley's fluency in Chinese is a result of 19 years of study. When asked why he picked up the language, his answer is to be the next Australian Prime Minister.