CHICAGO - US officials attending a National Chinese-Language Conference have commended Chinese-language education for its significant role in enhancing US-China cultural exchanges and overall ties.

"The US-China relationship is the most important bilateral relationship of the 21st century, and encouraging strong ties among our young generations through language will ensure that this relationship grows and flourishes," said US Senator Mark Kirk in a congratulatory letter to the three-day conference, which opened Thursday.

The meeting, organized by the Asia Society and the US College Board, has become the largest annual gathering in the country of teachers, administrators, and policymakers engaged in the teaching of Chinese language and culture.

More than 1,300 educating professionals attended the conference this year, and will hold extensive discussions on how to facilitate the exchanges of the two cultures. A number of them have visited the Chinese language and culture programs in Chicago's public schools before.

"We take great pride in our long-running Chinese-language learning and culture education program in Chicago, which has reached 13,000 students each year and become a model in Chinese-language education throughout the country," said Steven Koch, deputy mayor of Chicago, at the opening ceremony.

Koch spoke highly of the students who are "doing the important, sometimes difficult work of learning Chinese language and culture," noting that "they are going to be future ambassadors of Chicago to China, and bring together the important ties."

"The language is key to understand not only China's today, but also China's history, and the way it thinks," said Josette Sheeran, president and CEO of Asia Society, adding that the organization has forged partnership with the Confucius Institute in building the network of Chinese-language learning courses in 100 US districts and 28 states.