• Constantly expanding educational exchanges

In 2016, about 545,000 Chinese students left the country to pursue advanced studies overseas, a 36.2% increase on 2012. The number of learners returning to China after completing their course reached 433,000, up 58.6% on 2012. 443,000 internationals students furthered their studies in China, marking an increase of 35.1% on 2012. China has become the country with the most outbound student in the world and the most popular destination country in Asia.

• Deepening bilateral and multilateral educational cooperation

China has established educational partnerships with 188 countries and regions, and carried out educational cooperation and exchanges with 46 important international organizations. China has established 8 high level People-to-People Exchange Mechanisms with Russia, the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, France, Indonesia, South Africa and Germany. People-to-People exchanges have become one of the three pillars of China's diplomacy (the other two pillars being political mutual trust and trade economic cooperation). Agreements on mutual recognition of academic degrees have been signed with 47 countries and regions.

• Building China-overseas joint education programs and institutions

China-foreign joint education programs and institutions are being established, including 2,480 China-overseas joint education programs and institutions. 102 joint education institutions and programs above bachelor's degree in 14 countries and regions have been set up whilst 10 educational foreign aid bases established in higher education institutions.

• Providing services for Belt and Road Initiative

In July 2016, the Ministry of Education issued the Education Action Plan for the Belt and Road, and signed a memorandum of international cooperation with 14 provinces including Gansu, Ningxia, Fujian, Guizhou and other autonomous regions and municipalities, aiming to build a ministerial-provincial joint platform for the Belt and Road.

Leading programs like the Silk Road Scholarship, were launched as part of the support for the Belt and Road Initiative. A great amount of time has been spent on research and attaching great importance to the cultivation of less-used language to better serve the Belt and Road Initiative.

• Global coverage of Confucius Institutes

There are 512 Confucius Institutes and 1074 Confucius Classrooms in 140 countries and regions in the world, in which 135 Confucius Institutes and 129 Confucius Classrooms are in 51 countries along the Belt and Road.

67 countries have issued decrees to include Chinese language teaching into their national education systems. Chinese language courses and programs are being offered in over 170 countries. The number of people learning and using Chinese language in the world has reached 100 million.

Conclusion

China is on the brink of a fresh era and entering a new stage of development. Education should be accessible to all. China aims to provide better and fairer education for 1.3 billion people, establish a world-class modern education system with Chinese characteristics and make the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation a reality.