Mr. He Guoqiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, visited Confucius Institute at the University of Malaya and attended the book presentation ceremony on June 15, 2012 during his visit to Malaysia.
The University of Malaya is a comprehensive university with the most time-honored history and largest scale in Malaysia and has produced many social elites. In 2009, the first Confucius Institute in Malaysia was established at the University of Malaya. As of now, nearly 3,000 students have received Chinese training at the Institute.
Mr. He Guoqiang visited the Photo Show of the Institute, observed a Chinese calligraphy class, presented books and equipment of China Exploratorium to the Institute, watched performance staged by students and made important remarks at the University of Malaya.
Mr. He noted that China and Malaysia enjoy long-standing exchanges and traditional friendship. As early as 600 years ago, great navigator Zheng He of the Ming Dynasty of China led flotillas to Malacca for many times and opened the Maritime Silk Route convenient for exchanges between China and countries in Southeast Asia. Over the past 38 years since the two countries established diplomatic ties, high-level exchanges remain closer, economic and trade ties are enhanced, people-to-people exchanges are on the rise and pragmatic cooperation is moved forward in depth. For now, China-Malaysia relationship is in its best historical period. The Institute has, since its inception, offered featured classes, such as Chinese language teaching in the past two years. The rich activities have been widely and highly welcomed by Malaysian youths, become an important window for young students to learn Chinese language and understand Chinese culture and played critical role in enhancing traditional friendship between the two peoples. Mr. He hopes teachers and students can carry forward the philosophy of Confucius in teaching, “insatiable in learning and tireless in teaching”, promote and understand Chinese language and culture, enhance understanding about China, Malaysia.
Professor Dr. Mohd Hamdi Shukor, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Malaya, expressed his gratitude to the Chinese government for its strong support for the Confucius Institute in his welcoming address, indicating that the University of Malaya attaches great importance.
Students of the Institute performed such wonderful programs such as recitation of Chinese poems, Chinese martial arts and Chinese songs, receiving rounds of applauses from the audience. In particular, poetry reading Street in Heaven is featured by clear articulation, mellow and full tune, and excellent voice and affect cultivate more people to safeguard, carry forward and promote the lofty cause of China-Malaysia friendship and make new contribution to strategic cooperation between China and to the Institute and regards it as an important channel for the globalized development of the University and platform to enhance Malaysia-China relation, attracting and impressing everyone at the site.