Confucius Institute faces new challenges

The Confucius Institute, a nonprofit organization aiming to promote the Chinese language and culture, will speed up the process of integrating with local cultures, the organization's chair said on Sunday.

Vice-Premier Liu Yandong, chair of the Council of Confucius Institute Headquarters, said that in the coming decade it will be essential to integrate into the local cultural background by following local thinking and living customs, so that Confucius Institutes may serve as a window for people of different cultures to understand each other.

Liu made the remarks at the 9th Confucius Institute Conference, which started in Xiamen, Fujian province, on Sunday and will end on Monday.