What they say

"The world has a tremendous need for mutual understanding across cultures. This is the primary purpose of Confucius Institutes, to introduce China to the rest of the world, and also to help China itself become more familiar with us. Frankly, every country should be doing this."

John Thornton, Confucius Institute Headquarters senior consultant and Brookings Institution board of trustees co-chairman

"One of the most useful things a Confucius Institute offers is an immersive environment. In two weeks, you do nothing but learn Mandarin, Chinese culture, calligraphy, and that's an effective way to learn a foreign language."