CLTANT President Jian Wu Joins National Chinese Language Education Symposium in Melbourne

On Sunday, 9 August 2026, Mr. Jian Wu, President of the Chinese Language Teachers Association of the Northern Territory (CLTANT), was invited to attend a high-level symposium on Chinese language education in Australia, held at the Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China in Melbourne.

The symposium was convened during the official visit of Mr. Yu Yunfeng, Director of the Center for Language Exchange and Cooperation (CLEC) of the Ministry of Education of China, who led a delegation to Melbourne from 9 to 11 August. The evening brought together Consul-General Mr. Fang Xinwen, the CLEC delegation, presidents and representatives of Chinese language teachers associations from across Australia, and leading Chinese language academics from Victorian universities.

The event commenced at 5:20 PM with the arrival of delegates at the Consulate-General at 75-77 Irving Road, Toorak, followed by a group photo and opening remarks. The session was chaired by Ms. Wang Bei. In his welcome address, Consul-General Fang Xinwen highly commended the significant role played by state and territory Chinese teachers associations in promoting Chinese language education and strengthening educational exchange.

A key segment of the symposium was the presentations by the heads of the state and territory associations. Each president shared the current landscape, distinctive features, achievements and challenges of Chinese language education in their jurisdiction. The speakers, in order, were:

1. Mr. Ji Xing Xu – President, CLTAV (Victoria)

2. Mr. Ke Fan – President, CLTANSW (New South Wales)

3. Ms. Fei Xue – President, CLTAQ (Queensland)

4. Mr. Fu Xin Li – President, CLTAACT (ACT)

5. Mr. Jian Wu – President, CLTANT (Northern Territory)

   
   

Speaking on behalf of the Northern Territory, Mr. Wu introduced the unique context of Chinese teaching in the NT, including the vast geographical challenges, the multicultural student cohort, and the dedication of local teachers. He highlighted CLTANT's recent efforts in supporting teacher professional development and promoting community engagement despite limited resources, and put forward constructive suggestions on future support.

The session continued with contributions from Victorian university representatives: Mr. Shaoming Zhou (University of Melbourne), Professor Emeritus Yangguosheng Chen (RMIT University), Ms. Jing Qi (RMIT University), Ms. Hailan Liu (Monash University), and Dr. Yangbin Chen (La Trobe University).

This was followed by an open discussion focusing on four key themes:

• The current status and challenges of Chinese language education across states;

• The building of local Chinese teacher capacity and professional development support systems;

• The promotion and experience of international Chinese proficiency tests such as HSK and YCT;

• Innovative practices and future development of AI-empowered Chinese language education.

  
  

CLTANT extends its sincere gratitude to the Consulate-General in Melbourne and to CLEC for organising this important national dialogue. It was an invaluable opportunity for the NT to be heard at the national level, to learn from fellow associations, and to build stronger partnerships for the future of Chinese education in Australia.