Confucius Institute Headquarters Visits Huang Baiqing, Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute at University of Liberia

On the evening of March 28th, local time, Huang Baiqing, Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute at University of Liberia, was hit in a car accident while returning to his residence from the Roberts International Airport in Monrovia. Afterwards, all parties actively launched rescue operations. On April 14th, Director Huang Baiqing was escorted safely from France to China. He is now receiving rehabilitation treatment at the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University in Changsha.

Since he served as the Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute in Liberia in October 2016, Huang has actively been endeavoring to promote the establishment of Chinese language undergraduate major at University of Liberia. In light of his remarkable results, he was granted to meet with the then President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia for five successive times.

On May 3rd, Yu Tianqi, Deputy Chief Executive of the Confucius Institute Headquarters, and Li Hongyu, Deputy Director of the Division of Asian and African Confucius Institutes led a delegation to Changsha to visit Huang Baiqing, Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute at University of Liberia.

Yu conveyed the concerns and greetings of Education Minister Chen Baosheng and Vice Minister Tian Xuejun, and learned in detail about Huang’s health condition, daily life, and other situations. At the same time, Yu told Huang Baiqing to receive treatment without worries and actively follow the doctors’ instructions with the confidence and determination shown in his work in Africa to get well soon.

Visiting and comforting Huang Baiqing

Huang can’t help showing his excitement and expressed his gratitude to the Confucius Institute Headquarters and relevant organizations for their in-depth and meticulous work in the treatment process. He said: “Today, I am deeply moved! You are so busy with your work, but you come to visit me, which really move me to tears! Thanks for the care and help from the leaders! I am grateful for our countrymen treating me and loving me as their family, as well as the great motherland I have always been concerned with!"

Xu Wei, Deputy Director of the Education Department of Hunan Province, went to the hospital to visit Huang along with Jiang Changbo, Vice President of Changsha University of Science and Technology (CSUST).

During Huang’s treatment, all parties showed every concern for him to provide good conditions and tried various ways to accelerate the recovery process. Currently, every physical sign of Huang is stable. Although being confined to lie in bed, Huang still cares about the Confucius Institute and keeps in touch with teachers in the Confucius Institute through the network.

Meeting site

After the visit, Yu Tianqi and her colleagues went to CSUST to investigate and survey the work of the Confucius Institute. The CPC Secretary of the university Fu Hongyuan, Vice President Jiang Changbo, and the heads of the International Exchange Division and the School of Foreign Languages accompanied the investigation. Fu thanked the Confucius Institute Headquarters for their care and regards to Huang Baiqing, and reported on a series of measures of the CSUST to closely combining the university’s development with the national diplomatic strategies. Founded in 2008, the Confucius Institute in Liberia has endeavored to promote Chinese language and culture. Apart from that, it has been enthusiastic in promoting public welfare, such as undertaking the donation program for the local orphanage. Fu noted that the university will further improve its awareness of stance and try its best to support the Confucius Institute’s development. Based on the previous work of Director Huang, the university will further help the Confucius Institute at University of Liberia well develop the undergraduate major in Chinese Language so as to live up to the Confucius Institute Headquarters’ trust.