Taiwan plans to open Mandarin teaching centers in Japan, Oceania

Taipei, Nov. 12 (CNA) Taiwan's government is planning to open government-funded Mandarin teaching centers in Japan, Australia, and New Zealand in 2026 before expanding the project to Latin America, a senior official in charge of the program said Wednesday.

Fielding questions on the Overseas Community Affairs Council's (OCAC) proposed 2026 budget during a legislative session, OCAC chief Hsu Chia-ching (徐佳青) was asked by lawmakers about the council's plan for the Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning (TCML) program.

Hsu said 88 TCMLs are in operation around the world at present, with 68 in the United States and 20 centers in 12 European countries, and the OCAC is planning to open TCMLs in Asia-Pacific and Latin America from 2026 to 2029 to expand the program's global presence.

The council, she said, is planning to open two TCMLs in Japan, one in New Zealand, and four in Australia in 2026 alone.

According to the OCAC, the TCML program was launched in June 2021 to create overseas bases for teaching Mandarin "with Taiwanese characteristics," meaning using traditional Chinese characters instead of the simplified characters used in China, to people aged over 18.

To date, teaching materials have been prepared in English, French, German, Spanish, Polish, Indonesia, and Vietnamese.

Through Mandarin courses and cultural activities, the centers seek to foster cultural exchanges, popularize Mandarin learning, and deepen the relationship between Taiwan and people in the centers' host countries, the OCAC said.