Jointly hosted by the State Council of the Overseas Chinese Office and the Chinese Foreign Exchange Association, the first World Chinese Language Education Conference took place in the capital city of Sichuan Province. The focal point of the conference was a call for more exchange and cooperation between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits. The Deputy Director of the State Council Overseas Chinese Office, Zhao Yang, delivered a speech suggesting overseas Chinese associations should take the leading position in organizing and managing overseas Chinese language education. The conference, formerly known as the International Chinese Education Seminar, was originally started in 1990.
Source: United Front Work Department of the Party Central Committee, October 20, 2009
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