The Chinese language is evolving from a communication tool into a key carrier of global public value

Promoting mutual understanding and people-to-people ties through language has become a pressing priority for the international community. China’s Global Civilization Initiative aligns closely with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s  Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, offering new theoretical and practical pathways for the international dissemination of the Chinese language.

Conceptually, the Global Civilization Initiative, first proposed in March 2023, advocates respect for the diversity of civilizations, emphasizes the importance of the inheritance and innovation of civilizations, upholds the common values of humanity, and promotes international people-to-people exchanges and cooperation.

It echoes the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, which states that cultural diversity is the common heritage of humanity. Within this framework, language is not merely a tool for transmitting information but a core mechanism for generating cultural meaning and enabling civilizational interaction. As one of the world’s most spoken languages, Chinese has become a vital medium for diverse civilizations to coexist and interact.

Traditionally, however, Western views on language dissemination have been confined to cultural export or even cultural competition. Such perspectives often emphasize one-way communication and the expansion of influence, which can easily lead to the polarization and the instrumentalization of cultural relations. In today’s complex, volatile world, this paradigm no longer meets practical needs. It is therefore necessary to steer the international dissemination of Chinese culture toward “cultural symbiosis” and realize a more effective provision of public value. Cultural symbiosis means the interaction, integration and coevolution of different civilizations; while public value supply refers to providing the global community with institutional resources for understanding, trust and cooperation through language and cultural exchanges.

On the practical front, the global reach of the Chinese language has expanded dramatically in recent years. Statistics show that over 180 countries and regions offer Chinese language education. More than 80 countries have integrated Chinese language teaching into their basic national education systems. Digital platforms have also lowered barriers to language learning, driving sustained growth in the number of online Chinese language learners. These figures show that Chinese has evolved from a regional language into a globally influential one — what might be called international Chinese language.

In terms of cultural influence, the international dissemination of the Chinese language features a distinctive “embedded” trait. Unlike mere cultural product exports, language learning itself fosters cultural understanding. For example, when learners study Chinese concepts such as he er bu tong (harmony in diversity) and tianxia datong (universal harmony), they gain not just vocabulary but also the relational thinking and holistic perspectives rooted in traditional Chinese philosophy. This kind of culturally embedded learning through language helps reduce cognitive biases and deepens cross-cultural understanding.

Language plays a fundamental and structural role in promoting people-to-people bonds. International relations depend not only on institutional arrangements but also on societal cognitive and emotional foundations. As more people learn Chinese, non-Chinese speakers can access first-hand linguistic resources to better understand Chinese society. This “disintermediated” access to information helps reduce misunderstandings and biases.

As a key vehicle for the international dissemination of Chinese culture, the Confucius Institute offers a representative case. Since its founding in 2004, it has been going beyond language teaching to include cultural activities, teacher training and academic exchanges. Despite differing institutional environments and public opinions in various countries, it remains vital for promoting Chinese language education and cultural exchange. More importantly, these institutes have developed a practical collaborative dissemination model — partnering with local educational institutions to share resources and facilitate cultural interaction, which fully embodies the vision of cultural symbiosis.

Meanwhile, technological progress is reshaping the ways in which the Chinese language is disseminated globally. Artificial intelligence translation, online education platforms and social media are shifting language dissemination from institution-led to multi-actor participation. For example, Chinese-language content creators on short-video platforms are presenting culture in more everyday and diverse ways. This decentralized model of dissemination enhances the diversity and authenticity of cultural expression, increasing international audiences’ acceptance.

Admittedly, the global dissemination of the Chinese language still faces challenges such as cultural context differences, discourse system transformation and the international public opinion environment. Thus, future efforts should focus on three key dimensions: first, strengthening localized expression by integrating Chinese language teaching with local cultures; second, promoting two-way exchanges to avoid cognitive biases that can arise from one-way communication; third, reinforcing language’s role as a public good to deliver more shared value to the world.

Guided by the Global Civilization Initiative and the principle of cultural diversity, the global dissemination of the Chinese language is moving toward cultural symbiosis. By fostering civilizational mutual learning and people-to-people ties with language as a bridge, Chinese is evolving from a communication tool into a key carrier of global public value. Driven by continued institutional innovation and technological progress, the Chinese language is poised to play a more active and profound role in building an inclusive, diverse and sustainable global civilizational system.

The author is a foreign academician at the Japanese Academy of Engineering, and the honorary dean of the Confucius Institute at Ritsumeikan University, Japan.

The author contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

Contact the editor at editor@chinawatch.cn.