Michael M?ller, the UN Geneva Director-General, echoed Yu’s comments at the opening ceremony.

He pointed out "Multilingualism is the basis for multilateralism. Only if we understand each other can we find common ground."

Events on Monday included the opening of the interactive exhibition, "Decoding Chinese Characters".

Touchscreen games, video clips and demonstrations of Chinese calligraphy, as well as an interactive lecture by a Chinese linguist on the history of Chinese characters, were presented to the audience.

The date for Chinese Language Day, which actually falls on April 20, was selected to pay tribute to Cangjie, known to be the inventor of Chinese characters.