With 523 Confucius Institutes around the world and 4359 titles in English on the life and teachings of the great seer on the Amazon database alone, Confucius is one of China's biggest exports to the world.

Over the past decade, China's economic and military might has grown impressively. This has frightened its neighbors into looking for allies to balance China's increase in hard power. But if a country can also increase its soft power of attraction, its neighbors feel less need to balance its power.

Irish students will be able to take Chinese as a Leaving Certificate exam subject, a key step in efforts to boost Ireland’s marketability in the world’s fastest growing major economy...There is a growing awareness elsewhere in Europe that learning Chinese will give students an edge in the job market of the future.

MU’s branch of the Confucius Institute has signed a one-year deal with the North Callaway School district in Kingdom city, Missouri to introduce Kindergarten through 8th grade students to Chinese culture and language.

The event was hosted by China's Confucius Institute in Morocco. It's the second time the Chinese bridge competition has taken place here. On Saturday 26 contestants from across the country took part -- and their ages ranged from 14 to 62 years old Tkassit Abdullah. The theme of composition this year is "China and I".

Chinese culture is playing an increasingly important role in regional and global economic development, and is making its presence felt in a variety of international arenas...I am confident the establishment of the Confucius Institute in Bangor will provide our students with unprecedented access to many remarkable aspects of Chinese culture.

The two countries should expand cultural and people-to-people exchanges so as to consolidate the foundation of their friendship. He said they should make full use of the Confucius Institute and the Chinese culture center in Bangkok to further enhance cooperation in areas including culture, education, tourism and youth exchanges.

These were the words of China’s highest ranking female politician on the second day of her trip. Madam Liu Yandong, the most powerful woman in the country’s ruling Communist Party, said she “especially” selected Northern Ireland as the first stop on her European tour. She was speaking as she opened the new Confucius Institute at the University of Ulster..