CHINESE OFFICIALLY BECOMES THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF THE UNITED NATIONS WORLD TOURISM ORGANIZATIONFEBRUARY 21, 2021 SUNDAY 17:36 GLOBALACCORDING TO THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND TOURISM OF CHINA ON THE 20TH, CHINESE HAS OFFICIALLY BECOME THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF THE UNITED NATIONS WORLD TOURISM ORGANIZATION SINCE JANUARY 25, 2021.ACCORDING TO REPORTS, THE UNITED NATIONS WORLD TOURISM ORGANIZATION (UNWTO) AND THE SPANISH GOVERNMENT HAVE OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED THAT CHINESE WILL BECOME AN OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF UNWTO STARTING FROM JANUARY 25, 2021. UNWTO HAS SPECIALLY PRODUCED A VIDEO OF SECRETARY GENERAL ZULAB POLLIKASHVILI TO CONGRATULATE HIM.IT IS REPORTED THAT CHINESE HAS BECOME THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF UNWTO, WHICH ENHANCES THE INTEGRITY AND AUTHORITY OF UNWTO AS A SPECIALIZED AGENCY OF THE UNITED NATIONS, IMPROVES THE STATUS AND PROPORTION OF CHINESE IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, AND IS CONDUCIVE TO CHINA PLAYING A MORE ACTIVE ROLE IN GLOBAL INTERNATIONAL TOURISM AFFAIRS, SHARING THE EXPERIENCE AND OPPORTUNITIES OF CHINA'S TOURISM INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT BETTER, AND MAKING POSITIVE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE GOAL OF IMPROVING THE COUNTRY'S CULTURAL SOFT POWER, PROMOTING THE CONSTRUCTION OF A SOCIALIST CULTURAL POWER, AND PROMOTING THE CONSTRUCTION OF A COMMUNITY WITH A SHARED FUTURE FOR MANKIND.UNWTO IS THE MOST INFLUENTIAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL INTERNATIONAL TOURISM ORGANIZATION IN THE WORLD, WITH 159 MEMBER COUNTRIES AND ITS HEADQUARTERS LOCATED IN MADRID, SPAIN, OF WHICH SPAIN IS A SIGNATORY. CHINA JOINED THE ORGANIZATION IN 1983. IN NOVEMBER 2007, AT THE 17TH SESSION OF THE UNWTO GENERAL ASSEMBLY, CHINA PROPOSED TO LIST CHINESE AS THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF THE ORGANIZATION. THE PLENARY SESSION ADOPTED THE PROPOSAL OF THE CHINESE SIDE AND PASSED THE AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE 38 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE WORLD TOURISM ORGANIZATION, WHICH STATES THAT "THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES OF THE ORGANIZATION ARE ARABIC, CHINESE, ENGLISH, FRENCH, RUSSIAN, AND SPANISH". ACCORDING TO THE UNWTO CONSTITUTION, AFTER THE AMENDMENT IS PASSED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, MORE THAN TWO-THIRDS OF THE MEMBER STATES MUST COMPLETE THE APPROVAL PROCEDURES BEFORE IT CAN TAKE EFFECT. IN JANUARY 2021, THE NUMBER OF COUNTRIES THAT HAVE RATIFIED THE AMENDMENT REACHED 106, MEETING THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENT, AND THE AMENDMENT OFFICIALLY CAME INTO EFFECT.