On August 11, the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC) signed Chinese language education cooperation agreement online with the Education Department of Salta, Argentina and the Catholic University of Salta (UCSAL). The signing ceremony was attended by Dr. Jing Wei, Deputy Director-General of CLEC, Matías Cánepa, Director of the Department of Education, Culture, Science and Technology of Salta, Argentina, and Rodolfo Gallo Cornejo, President of the UCSAL. Chinese and Argentine diplomatic envoys, experts and scholars, including Sun Yi, Minister of Administrative Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Argentina, Carola Ramón, Deputy Secretary of State for Bilateral and Multilateral Negotiations of the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attended and delivered speeches.

Matías Cánepa said that the Department of Education of Salta has always attached great importance to educational exchanges and cooperation with China. Over the years, they have piloted Chinese language courses, carried out HSK exams, and organized Chinese cultural activities. In the future, Salta will continue to expand the scale of Chinese language teaching, using Chinese as a bridge to connect the friendship and people-to-people bonds between the people of Afghanistan and China.

Rodolfo Gallo Cornejo thanked the CLEC for its support. He said that the signing of the Chinese language education cooperation agreement is an important step for the Salta region to consolidate its cooperation with China. The UCSAL will give full play to its own advantages of the distance education, and make Chinese language teaching services benefit more Argentines.

Carola Ramón noted that the signing of the Chinese language education cooperation agreement in Salta is a fruitful achievement on the Year of the China-Argentina Friendship and Cooperation in the field of people-to-people and cultural exchanges. Mutual learning of language and culture will boost the China-Argentina cooperation in various fields.

Sun Yi expressed that Salta has been actively cooperating with China, and the establishment of the Chinese language education project will fully meet the growing demand for Chinese language learning in the Salta region. It is hoped that with the support of CLEC, Chinese and Argentine educational institutions can work together to build a China-Latin America educational community for a shared future and provide intellectual support for China-Latin America comprehensive partnership, mutually beneficial cooperation and win-win results.

Jing Wei indicated that the cooperation between CLEC, the Department of Education of Salta, and the Catholic University of Salta, will better meet the growing demand for Chinese language learning in schools and universities in the Salta region, and train more language talents. It builds a cooperation platform for friends from all walks of life, strengthen dialogue and exchange, and help China and Argentina facilitate "the Belt and Road Initiative" cooperation.

This year is the 50th anniversary of China-Argentina diplomatic relations and the Year of China-Argentina Friendship and Cooperation. The CLEC is ready to strengthen the Chinese language education exchange and cooperation with Argentine education authorities and well-known universities, through organizing seminars on the 50th anniversary of China-Argentina diplomatic relations and online exchange camps for Chinese and Latin American youth, etc. All these are expected to highly enrich the achievements of China-Argentina education and cultural exchanges in multiple forms and dimensions, and play an exemplary role in promoting the in-depth development of China-Argentina relations. (source from  Center for Language Education and Cooperation)