Participants pose for a group picture at the 2019 Conference on Chinese Language Education in Suva, Fiji, on Aug. 17, 2019. (Xinhua/Zhang Yongxing)

"The conference will help promote the cooperation and development of Chinese language education in the South Pacific region and paved a sustainable pathway for the future of Chinese language education globally," said Yang Hui, Chinese director of the Confucius Institute at the University of the South Pacific.

SUVA, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- 2019 Conference on Chinese Language Education in the South Pacific region was held Saturday in the Fijian capital Suva, helping promote cooperation and development of Chinese language education in the South Pacific region.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Matthew Hayward, associate dean of the School of Arts, Law and Education at the University of the South Pacific (USP), said that in the 21st century, the increase in the number of students who wish to study the Chinese language shows this participation is not one-way, but rather a reciprocal process of exchange.

With the theme "Chinese Language Education in the Age of Globalization and Diversity," the conference consisted of keynote reports and panel discussions on different topics, and it also organized a round-table discussion on the theme of "The Development and Construction of Chinese Educational Organization a global Context."

Yang Hui, Chinese director of the Confucius Institute at the USP, told Xinhua that with the globalisation background as the general direction and the Chinese language education in the South Pacific region as the focus, the conference launched a variety of topics and was actively recognized by all participants.

"The conference will help promote the cooperation and development of Chinese language education in the South Pacific region and paved a sustainable pathway for the future of Chinese language education globally," she said.

Jointly organized by the University of the South Pacific and the Consortium of the Advanced Subjects in New Zealand, the conference, with participation of experts from colleges and universities across the world, also received special support from the Confucius Institute at the USP, Jinan University and China Higher Education Press.