With the active promotion of the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (hereinafter referred to as the "CLEC"), the Ministry of Education of China and the Ministry of Education of Vanuatu have reached an agreement on the cooperation between the two countries in the development of Chinese language education programs for primary and secondary schools in Vanuatu. On September 10, 2021, Chinese Ambassador to Vanuatu Zhou Haicheng signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Chinese Language Education Programs for Primary and Secondary Schools (hereinafter referred to as the "Memorandum of Understanding") in Vanuatu on behalf of the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China with the Minister of Education and Training of the Republic of Vanuatu, Samson.
According to the Memorandum of Understanding, the education departments of China and Vanuatu will cooperate in the development of Chinese language education programs for primary and secondary schools in Vanuatu. The CLEC will send Chinese language consultants to Vanuatu; jointly develop policy documents and framework systems that include the Chinese language curriculum, teaching syllabus and examination syllabus for primary and secondary schools; help Vanuatu establish a team of Chinese language teachers; develop Chinese language teaching materials; conduct assessment and monitoring of the teaching quality of the Chinese language programs in primary and secondary schools in Vanuatu; and jointly hold academic seminars, etc.
In 2019, the Vanuatu government announced that Chinese will be the first foreign language taught in Vanuatu schools, and the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries marks Vanuatu's officially incorporation of Chinese into its national educational system.
Ambassador Zhou Haicheng said in his speech at the signing ceremony that the cooperation on Chinese language education in primary and secondary schools in Vanuatu is the latest result of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Vanuatu, marking a new breakthrough and new opportunities for educational exchanges and cooperation between the two countries, which will certainly open up new prospects. China will further strengthen cooperation with Vanuatu's Ministry of Education, schools and institutions at all levels, and promote the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding, so as to train a large number of talents who can speak Chinese and understand China on Vanuatu's behalf, help Vanuatu achieve the goals of the 2030 National Sustainable Development Plan, plant social roots for the development of China-Vanuatu relations, and create unlimited opportunities for the personal growth of Vanuatu's youth. He said he hopes that more young people in Vanuatu will become Chinese language fans, inheritors of China-Vanuatu friendship and promoters of China-Vanuatu relations. China is willing to continue to support the development of Chinese language education in Vanuatu, to provide more focused, practical and efficient assistance to the people of Vanuatu in learning Chinese, and to promote China-Vanuatu education cooperation and the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries to reach a new level.
Minister Samson thanked China for its continuous support to Vanuatu and looked forward to the continued strengthening of cooperation between both sides. He said the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding is a milestone in promoting cultural and educational exchanges between China and Vanuatu. Chinese is becoming a language used for global business and communication, and through signing the Memorandum of Understanding, the partnership between the two education sectors will help children and youth adapt to the changing world and their future development in the business world, as well as enhance mutual exchanges between the two countries.
The signing ceremony was attended by Mara, the First Political Adviser to the Minister of Education and Training; Yati, the General Director; Katipa, the Director of Education Services, and other officials. Lin Bin and Jiang Pu, the Counsellors of the Embassy of China in Vanuatu, principals of relevant schools and Chinese language teachers participated.
Up to now, more than 180 countries and regions around the world have started Chinese language education, 76 countries have incorporated Chinese into their national education system, and more than 80,000 schools, colleges and universities, Chinese language schools and language education and training institutions offer Chinese language courses. More than 25 million people outside China are learning Chinese, and the cumulative number of people learning and using Chinese is close to 200 million. The flourishing international Chinese language education has made a positive contribution to accelerating Chinese language into the world, promoting Chinese and foreign language exchange and cooperation, enhancing understanding and friendship between Chinese and foreign people, and furthering the development of diverse and colorful civilizations around the world. (Information Sources：Center for Language Education and Cooperation)
