ZXS Beijing December 11 (Reported by Zhou Zhaojun)  The Second Confucius Institute Conference was launched in Beijing on December 11. China’s Minister of Education, Zhou Ji, said at the report of the Conference that the First Governing Council of Confucius Institute Headquarters has been formed, with Chinese State Councilor, Chen Zhili, as Chairman.

The five Vice-Chairmen are: Minister of Education, Zhou Ji, Director of Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, Li Haifeng, Deputy Secretary General of State Council, Xiang Zhaolun, Vice Minister of Finance, Zhang Shao-chun, and the former Deputy Secretary General of the State Council, Chen Jinyu. The twelve executive directors are respective individuals from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, State Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Culture, and other departments. Hanban, Xu Lin, is the Executive Director and the Director-General.

The Council also has 15 councilmen, 10 of whom are Director-Generals from the overseas Confucius Institute. Zhou Ji said that the first councilman will be appointed by the Headquarters and those afterwards will be elected, or rotated based on the order the Confucius Institutes were founded. Term for councilman is two years and re-electable once. During the term, the councilman shall receive no reward from Confucius Institute Headquarters.

Zhou Ji also said that the First Confucius Institute Conference, held last July, has played a great role in promoting the construction of the Confucius Institute. Over the past year, the Confucius Institute Headquarters stressed on quality improvement and management standardization, taking various measures to strengthen the support and service for the construction of the Confucius Institute. The Headquarters made its efforts to raise funds, and further intensified funding from the Chinese side for the Confucius Institute, with total investment of over 26 million US dollars.

Last year, the Confucius Institute Headquarters announced the "Confucius Institute Constitutions and By-laws" (Trial). After putting in practice for more than one year, the Headquarters put forward a number of amendments for the "Constitutions and By-laws". Setting two new provisions in the third chapter: Headquarters will set up special working committee to provide consultative advice for itself; Headquarters will employ Chinese and foreign celebrities as its senior advisers. New terms will be added to Chapter VI stating: Confucius Institute is a non-profit organization, whose proceeds shall be used in teaching activities and improving teaching service conditions, whose accumulation shall be used for the Sustainable Development of the Confucius Institute, and never for other purposes.