Hanban
The Centre for Language Education and Cooperation (Chinese: 中外语言交流合作中心) is an organization under the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China tasked with "providing Chinese language and cultural teaching resources and services worldwide". It is commonly referred to as the Hanban (Chinese: 汉办; pinyin: Hàn bàn), the colloquial abbreviation for the Office of Chinese Language Council International (Chinese: 国家汉语国际推广领导小组办公室); it is also known as Confucius Institute Headquarters.
| 中外语言交流合作中心 | |
Headquarters of the Center for Language Education and Cooperation, with Hanban markings | |
| Formation | 1987 |
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| Type | Organization under the Ministry of Education |
| Location |
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Parent organization | Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China |
It was originally called the China National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language, which was established in 1987, and acquired its current name in 2020. Hanban is most notable for the Confucius Institute program. It also sponsors Chinese Bridge, a competition in Chinese proficiency for non-native speakers. Organizationally, Hanban sits directly under the Ministry of Education. It has numerous subdivisions, including three separate Confucius Institute divisions in charge of Asian and African, American and Oceanian, and European regions. In 2014, The Economist labeled Hanban a "government entity". Hanban has been criticized for its Confucius Institute program and for the actions of former Director General Xu Lin.