On September 8, 2025, Mr. Chen Siqing, Chairman of SINO-CEEF Capital Management Company Limited, led a delegation on a visit to the Confucius Institute at the University of Tirana. He held warm and constructive discussions with Mr. Zheng Baoguo, the Institute’s Chinese Co-Director, as well as with faculty members, and presented a donation of 12 thoughtfully selected book sets to the Institute. The donated books cover a wide variety of subjects, including training methods for teaching Chinese as a foreign language, teaching references, case studies, academic research, language learning tools, digital pedagogy, traditional Chinese culture, and children’s literature. This contribution is intended to further enrich the Institute’s teaching resources, support the promotion of Chinese language and culture in Albania and across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), and deepen mutual understanding and people-to-people ties between China and Albania, as well as between China and CEE countries.
During the exchanges, Mr. Zheng Baoguo shared the Institute’s recent progress in promoting Chinese language education in Albania. He noted that this year, within just ten days of opening course registration, more than fifty students had already enrolled—including primary and secondary school students, university students, and members of the public—reflecting the Institute’s growing recognition and influence in the local community. Mr. Zheng also spoke about the Institute’s experience in organizing cultural and people-to-people exchanges in Albania, such as partnerships with local schools, environmental education programs, cultural lectures, and sharing China’s stories in an engaging and authentic manner. He reflected on the historical development of China–Albania cultural exchanges, discussed Albania’s educational landscape and the evolution of bilateral relations, and underscored the important role that youths play in strengthening ties between the two countries.
Chairman Chen Siqing commended the Confucius Institute for its positive contributions to Chinese language education overseas and to China–Albania cultural exchange. He affirmed that the Institute serves not only as a bridge for language teaching, but also as an important channel for sharing Chinese culture and deepening mutual understanding. Chairman Chen also highlighted Albania’s strategic significance in the Western Balkans as a key partner in China’s regional cooperation. He encouraged the peoples of both countries to continue using language as a bond and culture as a window, in order to broaden and deepen collaboration in education, academia, youth exchanges, and economic and trade cooperation. He further emphasized that SINO-CEEF serves as a key platform for advancing economic and cultural exchanges between China and CEE countries, and expressed the company’s commitment to promoting practical financial investments and cultural projects that enhance trust, mutual understanding, and enduring friendship between China and Albania—laying a solid foundation for a more stable, mutually beneficial relationship.
Mr. Chen Fei, Vice Chairman and CEO of SINO-CEEF, extended an invitation to the Institute to organize visits for Albanian students to the company’s headquarters in China at a suitable time. He also expressed hope for future collaboration with the Institute’s teachers to deliver public lectures on green development and environmental protection. These initiatives aim to raise environmental awareness among Albanian students, showcase China’s contributions to global sustainable development, and help build a bridge of mutual understanding between the peoples of China and Europe.
This visit and book donation represent another step in SINO-CEEF’s ongoing commitment to corporate social responsibility and to promoting cultural exchange between China and CEE countries. The company firmly believes that economic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges are twin pillars supporting the development of China–CEE relations: the former provides momentum for connectivity and shared prosperity, while the latter builds a lasting foundation for mutual understanding and strategic trust. The Confucius Institute at the University of Tirana serves as a vital platform for spreading Chinese culture and fostering China–Albania friendship. Supporting the Institute means supporting the growth of Chinese language education and cultural dissemination throughout the CEE region, and advancing “people-to-people connectivity” between China and Europe. Through book donations and reciprocal visits, SINO-CEEF hopes to offer Albanian youths and the public a window into China, building a knowledge bridge that strengthens friendship between the two nations.
Mr. Zheng expressed his sincere gratitude to SINO-CEEF for its generous donation and invitation. He noted that the selected books will enhance the teaching capacity of local Chinese instructors and provide Albanian students with richer materials and broader perspectives for learning the Chinese language and understanding its culture. He also emphasized that SINO-CEEF’s socially responsible and forward-looking initiatives will inspire more local students to pursue Chinese language and cultural studies, and encourage more enterprises to support the overseas development of Confucius Institutes and participate in China–Albania cultural cooperation—creating a win–win ecosystem for all stakeholders.
Looking ahead, SINO-CEEF will continue to support projects that promote people-to-people exchanges between China and CEE countries, explore diverse forms of cooperation, and contribute to fostering “heart-to-heart connectivity” and building a shared future of mutual understanding and cultural harmony.
