France considers China as an important partner in educational field while teaching in the Chinese language has entered into France's educational system, French Education Minister Xavier Darcos said on Wednesday.

Darcos made the remarks here at the first symposium on the international Chinese-language class, which teaches different subjects including maths in Chinese.

The one-day symposium has attracted hundreds of teachers and experts from France and China, discussing the problems and experience in the operation of the class.

The education minister said he hoped that the exchange of views would continue to bring about fruitful results.

Chinese Ambassador to France Kong Quan echoed Darcos' remarks, saying that the international Chinese-language class plays a different role from the Confucius Institute, which offers a platform for culture exchange.

The international Chinese-language course allows the Chinese-language teaching to enter into the mainstream educational system, Kong said.

China and France signed an agreement in June 2008 to open the international Chinese language classes in eight districts including Paris, Lyon and Rennes.

The students of the class are expected to reach a required level of reading in the Chinese language when they finish high school education.

The number of people studying Chinese in France has increased quickly in the past six years and reached 45,000 people in 2008. Chinese language has become a popular foreign language following English, Spanish, German and Italian.

(Xinhua News Agency March 12, 2009)