China will continue to attach great importance to the teaching of the Chinese language abroad and provide greater support to overseas Chinese who teach the language, senior lawmaker and former diplomat Li Daoyu said in Beijing January 19.

"Spreading Chinese language education is a task of strategic significance," said Li, vice chairman of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress.

Li once served as China's ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the United Nations and as China's ambassador to the Untied States.

The Chinese language helps maintain cultural relations with overseas Chinese, and disseminate Chinese traditions and culture in foreign lands, the former diplomat said.

Although most of the schools run by overseas Chinese are doing well, there are still many lacking necessary funds and qualified teachers, Li said.

"We must provide more support to Chinese schools in foreign lands," he stressed.

To spread the use of the Chinese language, the Chinese government has set up a special team, headed by Minister of Education Chen Zhili.

Government statistics show that there are more than one million people in Japan now studying Chinese.

And an increasing number of overseas Chinese and foreigners are taking the Chinese Language Proficiency Test for non-Chinese speakers, the Chinese version of the TOEFL test.

There are now more the 40,000 people worldwide taking the Chinese language test every year, statistics show. (Xinhua)