The Confucius Institute Resource Centre at Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology was being opened on Thursday.
Its purpose is to promote Chinese culture and help businesses around the world to gain mutually beneficial economic relationships with the Asian giant.
Nelson's Economic Development Agency says the centre will help firms in Nelson understand how to communicate with, and do business with, Chinese companies.
There are three Confucious Institutes in New Zealand already but this smaller, resource centre in Nelson - a bit like a satellite station - is the only one to be built outside of Christchurch so far.
