The government of the central Brazilian state of Mato Grosso says it has struck an agreement with Sichuan University of Science and Engineering (SUSE) in China which will lead to the establishment of a Mato Grosso branch of the Confucius Institute for the teaching of Chinese language and culture.

A written statement issued by the government on Wednesday quotes SUSE President Tuo Xianguo as voicing hope that the agreement will lead to exchanges of students by Mato Grosso and the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan.

The signing of the agreement was attended online by the rectors of the Federal University of Mato Grosso, the Federal University of Rondonópolis, the State University of Mato Grosso and the Federal Institute of Mato Grosso, the state government says.