STORY: Chinese language learning market shows great potential, says expert
SHOOTING TIME: Dec. 20, 2023
DATELINE: Dec. 23, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:02
LOCATION: FUZHOU, China
CATEGORY: EDUCATION

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the First Overseas Chinese Talent Conference for Development in China's Fuzhou
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): DANIEL SHEK, Associate vice president of Hong Kong Polytechnic University
3. various of participants
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): ELIZABETH WOO LI, Chairwoman of Sinological Development Charitable Foundation
5. various of participants
6. various of Fuzhou (file)

STORYLINE:

Cooperation agreements worth over 7 billion yuan (about 989 million USD) were reached at the First Overseas Chinese Talent Conference for Development in China's Fuzhou. 

The three-day event, jointly hosted by the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and the provincial government of Fujian, concluded on Friday.

During the event, a series of activities concerning overseas Chinese talent and economic development in key fields were held, including academic exchanges and exhibitions on the fruits of innovation.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): DANIEL SHEK, Associate vice president of Hong Kong Polytechnic University
"The prospect of Chinese language education is very bright. First of all, many people are now interested in China. Since China is the second largest economy in the world, many people also want to learn more about China. So I would say that Chinese language education has very promising prospects, and the market is huge."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): ELIZABETH WOO LI, Chairperson of Sinological Development Charitable Foundation
"The (Overseas Chinese) community plays a significant role in helping us understand the differences between the East and the West in foreign countries. Additionally, we hope that their next generation can join our efforts. This work is a long-term endeavor, spanning multiple generations. We aim to nurture the next generation and those that follow, progressing gradually over time."

Fuzhou is well-known for being the hometown of many Chinese who now reside abroad. According to statistics, more than 4.3 million Chinese from Fuzhou currently live in over 170 countries and regions.

In recent years, Fuzhou has been optimizing the business environment for overseas Chinese. Since 2022, Fuzhou has introduced 17 projects involving overseas Chinese, with a total contracted foreign investment of 531 million U.S. dollars.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Fuzhou, China.
(XHTV)