Confucius Institutes thrive in Central Asia and Transcaucasia

Countries in Central Asia and Transcaucasia have seen rapid development of China's Confucius Institutes (CI) dedicated to promoting Chinese language and culture.

In 2013, the number of registered CI students in the region stood at 24,000, up 33.3 percent year on year, said Xu Lin, director of the Confucius Institute Headquarters, at an ongoing conference focusing on CI's development in the region.

The event was held in Lanzhou City, capital of northwest China's Gansu Province, and attended by 14 CI directors in seven countries.

CI in the region organized 480 cultural activities last year and attracted 180,000 participants, double the number in 2012, Xu said.

Teaching facilities have been improved at the institutes and they have tightened training of local teachers, Xu said.

2014 marks the 10th anniversary of CI's establishment. To date, China has opened 468 CIs in 123 countries and regions. There are also 715 Confucius Classrooms operating in middle and primary schools.