MANILA, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Confucius Institute at Angeles University Foundation (CI-AUF) in the Philippines held a ceremony on Thursday to mark its 15th anniversary in Angeles City, about 80 km north of Manila.
In his speech, AUF President Joseph Angeles said that over the years, the CI-AUF has opened doors for countless learners, fostering curiosity, cultural appreciation, and global understanding.
"As we look back on this remarkable journey, we do so with deep gratitude and pride, celebrating not only the milestones achieved, but also the meaningful connections forged among our institutions, our communities, and our peoples," Angeles said.
For her part, former Philippine President Gloria Arroyo said the CI-AUF has demonstrated its culture of excellence in Chinese language teaching, making it the most widely implemented foreign language program in the public secondary schools of the country.
Arroyo expressed the hope that for the next 15 years, the CI-AUF would continue to fulfill its mission and brings Chinese language and culture more accessible to a wider audience, and continue to serve as a bridge between the two countries.
Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Jing Quan said in his speech that China and the Philippines are geographically close, culturally connected, and economically complementary, with enormous potential for cooperation.
Jing hoped that students could use language to open more opportunities in life and use Chinese to open a bright future for China-Philippines ties.
The CI-AUF was inaugurated in January 2010 through cooperation between Fujian Normal University in China and Angeles University Foundation in the Philippines. ■