More aid urged for private Chinese teaching

Teaching Chinese language to foreigners, a prime aspect of culture exports so far dominated by public institutions, should be open to private sectors as well, because they would be less prone to attacks from culture protection radicals, a political advisor told Xinhua.

China's added push in culture exports has resulted in sprouting 282 Confucius Colleges in 87 nations and regions around the world, all subsidized by Beijing's hefty pockets, while private education, a booming industry at home, is ignored, said Yu Minhong, chairman of the New Oriental Education & Technology Group and a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the nation's top political advisory body.

Yu, an English teaching pioneer in China, is known for sending groups of Chinese students to study abroad. He suggested that the Chinese government offer diplomatic assistance, preferential tax policies and fiscal support to private educators teaching Chinese abroad, and advocated cooperation with public institutions.

Yu is currently in Beijing attending the annual CPPCC meeting, which kicked off on Wednesday at the Great Hall of the People.