The Chilean Ministry of Education (Spanish acronym) and the CLEC Foundation – Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean welcomed 23 Chinese teachers from various provinces in China, who will support the teaching of the language and the promotion of Chinese culture in educational establishments across nine regions of the country throughout 2026.
The initiative forms part of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the governments of Chile and China in 2004, an agreement which, since 2005, has enabled Chinese teachers to come to Chilean schools. The agreement was renewed in December 2023, reaffirming both countries’ commitment to educational cooperation, the learning of the Chinese language and the strengthening of cultural exchange between the two nations.
The welcome ceremony took place on 5 May at the new CLEC headquarters and brought together officials from the Ministry of Education, representatives from the Chinese Embassy in Chile and the participating teachers. Representing MINEDUC, Francisca Ovalle, national coordinator of the Learning Strategy Department, emphasised that the ministry’s objective is to guarantee a comprehensive, high-quality education for all students in the country, noting that the arrival of Chinese teachers helps to broaden the educational and cultural horizons of Chilean school communities.
For her part, the cultural counsellor at the Chinese Embassy, Xu Yunzhe, called on the teachers to carry out their work with dedication, respecting Chilean regulations and valuing local culture. Meanwhile, the head of the Office of International Relations at MINEDUC, Enrique Laval, reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to the teaching of the Chinese language, whilst Roberto Lafontaine, CLEC’s regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighted the positive impact that language learning has on individuals, communities and the strengthening of ties between countries.
During the event, Ruan Huiqiao, the Chinese director of the CLEC Regional Office, distributed teaching support materials, whilst the teachers took part in training sessions aimed at strengthening communication strategies and teaching methodologies. The teachers will remain in Chile until December and have already begun settling in to their new surroundings in the various regions where they will be carrying out their teaching work.