The first Confucius Institute in Chile was inaugurated at the Saint Thomas University in Santiago on Monday.

With a closer relationship between China and Chile, more and more Chileans want to have a better understanding of China, Wang Liangen, charge d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Chile, said at the inauguration ceremony.

Against such a backdrop, the Confucius Institute is designed not only to enhance overseas Chinese teaching and learning but also to promote Chinese culture exchange across the world, he said.

The Confucius Institute was co-established by China's Anhui University and the Saint Thomas University of Chile.

China is Chile's largest trading partner, while Chile is China's third largest trading partner. Trade volume between the two countries hit 14.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2007.

(Xinhua News Agency April 30, 2008)