'Isn't it a pleasure to have friends coming from afar!'

"Da jia hao!" (Hello, everybody!). That's how Ritsumeikan University of Japan President Kawaguchi Kiyofumi began his speech at the second Confucius Institute Conference in Beijing yesterday.

Kiyofumi learned the Chinese language in his university's Confucius Institute. Praising the idea of such schools, he said: "Institutes where many cultures co-exist will help enhance international understanding and promote world peace."

He was corroborated by more than 1,000 Chinese and foreigners taking part in the conference, aimed at exchanging experiences on learning and teaching Chinese. The first Confucius Institute was set up in 2004 to meet the rising global demand for learning Chinese. Their number has now risen to 210 in 64 countries and regions, with 46,000 students, according to the Office of the Chinese Language Council International.