Kigali — The Confucius Institute, a Chinese teaching institute was unveiled at Kigali Institute of Education last week.

Guests who attended the unveiling ceremony included the Vice Secretary General of the People's Municipal Government of Chongqing, China, and Chinese envoy Sun Shuzhong.

Last year, before the institute formally started, a pact establishing it was signed between KIE and China's Chongqing Normal University (CNU).

In his speech, KIE Rector - Prof. George Njoroge hailed Rwanda-China cooperation, a cooperation which he noted, led to the establishment of the institute.

Njoroge outlined the goals of the institution and the importance of teaching Chinese language and culture and stressed that language was a vehicle and promoter of shared understanding and development among people.

The first class - 32 KIE students, started on April 17 but the number has steadily increased, compelling the institute which has been dubbed CIKIE, to conduct two classes weekly.

Chinese is also taught at Riviera High School in Gasabo district.

CIKIE is a non-profit institute promoting Chinese language and culture in Rwanda.