On September 10, Hon. Samson Samsen, Vanuatu Minister of Education and Training (MoET) and H.E. Zhou Haicheng, Chinese Ambassador to Vanuatu, on behalf of the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Joint Chinese Language Education in Primary and Secondary Schools in the Republic of Vanuatu. Mr. Clarence Marae, 1st Political Adviser to Minister Samson, DG Bergmans Iati, Mr. Samuel Katipa, Director of Education Services and other MoET officials, Counselor Lin Bin and Counselor Jiang Pu of the Chinese Embassy, Chinese teachers in Vanuatu, and school principals of Port Vila attended the signing ceremony.
According to the MOU, Education Ministries of China and Vanuatu will cooperate on Chinese language education in primary and secondary schools in Vanuatu. Based on consensus through consultations, China will select and send Chinese teaching experts to Vanuatu to coordinate and assist in developing policy documents and frameworks such as the curriculum, syllabus and testing schemes for the joint Program, help Vanuatu build a pool of Chinese language teachers, and develop Chinese language textbooks and learning materials. Both sides will jointly monitor and evaluate the teaching performance of the Program, encourage educational and academic institutions from both countries to conduct theoretical and applied research, and hold academic conferences on topics related to the Program. The signing of the MOU will facilitate implementation of Vanuatu government's policy to make Chinese the first foreign language to be taught in Vanuatu and promote Chinese language education in primary and secondary schools of the country.
On behalf of the government of Vanuatu, Hon. Samsen acknowledged China for its ongoing support to Vanuatu, looking forward to a continuous working relationship with the Chinese government. He described the MOU as another milestone between the government of Vanuatu and China through the Ministry of Education and Training, strengthening people-to-people exchange and the relationship that have been sustained through various agreements in the past year to date.
“Chinese language is becoming a language used globally for business exchanges. Therefore, such partnership agreement specifically in the education sector will enable the children of Vanuatu tomorrow to contribute or be part in a changing society within a business world and will strengthen mutual exchange between both republican countries”，Minister Samsen said.
In his remarks, Ambassador Zhou emphasized that joint Chinese language education in Vanuatu primary and secondary schools is a latest achievement in the China-Vanuatu comprehensive strategic partnership. “It marks a breakthrough, will usher in new opportunities, and will broaden the prospects for China-Vanuatu educational exchanges and cooperation,” he added.
Zhou vowed that the Chinese side will further strengthen cooperation with the Vanuatu Ministry of Education and Training, schools and institutions to successfully implement the MOU, bring Chinese language courses to young children, train a large number of people who can speak Chinese and understand China, and help achieve the goals in Vanuatu 2030 The People’s Plan. “The signing of this MOU will further solidify popular support for the development of China-Vanuatu relations and create tremendous opportunities for the younger generations of Vanuatu. I wish more Vanuatu youths will become Chinese enthusiasts and good-will ambassadors for China-Vanuatu friendship and relations,” he said.
“China will continue supporting Chinese language teaching in Vanuatu, offering more practical and effective support to Vanuatu people within our means, and promote China-Vanuatu educational cooperation and comprehensive strategic partnership to new heights”, Zhou concluded.