Opening ceremony of Joint Conference of Confucius Institutes in Asia

Director of the International Council of the Chinese Language and General Secretary of the Confucius Institutes Xu Lin (R) speaks during the opening ceremony of the Joint Conference of Confucius Institutes in Asia, held in Kaga City of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, May 23, 2009. The joint conference opened on Saturday, attracting over 170 delegates from 51 Confucius Institutes in 21 countries in Asia.

(Xinhua/Chen Xi)