China received about 550,000 foreign students from 170 countries and regions around the world from 1950 to 2002, with 100,000 gaining scholarships granted by the Chinese government, according to the Chinese Ministry of Education (MOE).

This revealed to more than 240 foreign exchange students from nearly 80 countries and regions, and foreign ambassadors to China from over 70 countries and regions who attended an evening ball for exchange students held by the MOE and the Beijing municipal government, here Friday.

According to the organizers, educational exchanges and cooperation have seen rapid progress in the past decade, with a big increase in the number of exchange students. So far, nearly 500 higher education institutes in China have been given permission to receive foreign exchange students.

Statistics show that in 2002 China received 86,000 exchange students from 170 countries and regions, among whom students from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Japan, the United States, Indonesia and Vietnam ranked first to fifth largest in number, respectively.

The MOC launched a medical insurance project specially designed for foreign students this September.
 
(Xinhua News Agency December 13, 2003)