China will strive to become Asia's largest destination for overseas students in 2020, according to the "Plan on Overseas Study in China" released by China's Ministry of Education on Sept. 28.

The plan was released during a work meeting on overseas study in China held in Beijing. The meeting was the fourth special meeting held by China focusing on overseas study in China since China's market-oriented reforms or the first such meeting since 1998.

Hao Ping, vice minister of education, said as a target-oriented and practical guide, the plan outlines the work concerning overseas study in China over the next 10 years.

The plan has settled on an ambitious target for overseas study work: the number of foreign students studying in the Chinese mainland universities as well as primary and middle schools should reach 500,000 in 2020, including 150,000 in universities.

Furthermore, the plan has put forward innovative ideas to follow international best practices. For instance, on top of improving the college preparatory education system, China will come to formulate college admission standards for foreign students.

China will also encourage educational institutions to explore ways to apply a pilot flexible educational system in order to extend the scope of overseas studies in China to abroad. China will also support universities to develop some outstanding courses taught in Chinese and offer a certain number of degree programs taught in English.

In 1950, New China received the first group of overseas students from Eastern Europe. Over the following 60 years, 1.7 million overseas students have studied in China.

According to the data from the ministry, in 2009 there were up to 240,000 overseas students from 190 countries and regions studying in the 610 mainland Chinese universities, scientific research institutes and other educational institutions in 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities.

Source: People's Daily online