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870,000 Study in China over 20 Years

China has received 870,000 international students since it launched its reform and opening-up drive in the late 1970s, said an official with the Ministry of Education.

Zhang Xinsheng, vice-minister of education, said that in 2004 alone, China received more than 110,000 international students from 178 countries, of whom 30 percent earned degrees.

Zhang said China has signed governmental agreements with 26 countries on the mutual recognition of schooling records. He said this indicates that China’s higher education is internationally recognized. International students can earn academic degrees in China before finding employment in their own countries.

At the end of 2004, the Chinese Government had assigned Chinese language teachers to 62 countries; more than 30 million people overseas were reportedly studying Chinese.

Eighty-seven cities in 35 countries and regions have launched the Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK), and 330,000 foreigners have taken the test.