An unveiling ceremony for the Confucius Institute of Egypt's Suez Canal University was held Tuesday in the Egyptian city of Ismailia, some 120 km northeast of Cairo.

During a speech at the ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Wu Chunhua voiced his appreciation to the Egyptian government and Suez Canal University for their efforts exerted for the establishment of the Confucius Institute, which is the second one in Egypt and the first one is that of the famed Cairo University.

With China's rapid social and economic development, Chinese language has become more and more popular in the world, Wu said.

The establishment of the Confucius Institute in Suez Canal University reflects the willingness of the university to promote cultural exchange between China and Egypt, he said.

Mohamed Sayed Ahmed El-Zoghby, president of Suez Canal University, said the Confucius Institute is another symbol of the long-term friendship between Egypt and China, both have a long history of civilization.

It's helpful for promoting cultural and economic exchanges between the two countries to study Chinese language and culture, El-Zoghby said.

During the ceremony, Wu offered a number of Chinese books to the Confucius Institute.

The agreement on jointly establishing the Confucius Institute was signed between North China Electric Power University and Suez Canal University last March.

(Xinhua News Agency April 2, 2008)