The government has planned to boost the number of foreign students in China to 500,000 by the end of 2020, up from the current number of 360,000, said visiting Vice-Premier Liu Yandong in Brussels.
"This means that we are going to increase the number of foreign students in China by around 150,000 in the coming five years," Liu told a group of senior sinologists at a dinner discussion in Brussels on Monday.
"We will open our door wider and wider, offering accesses for foreign youths to learn and understand China."
Liu arrived in Brussels on Monday, kicking off one-week people-to-people exchanges in Belgium, the European Union headquarters, and the United Kingdom. She will leave for London on Wednesday.
Citing President Xi Jinping's proposals of forging peace, growth, reform and civilization partnership between China and EU, Liu said deepening people-to-people exchanges could solidify the foundations of such partnership.
"I am here to help materialize President Xi's proposals together with our European friends," said Liu.
The dinner discussion with 10 senior European experts on China, who are also directors of Confucius institutes, took place prior to meetings and dialogues with her European counterparts on Tuesday.
Liu is also scheduled to meet European young people, give speech in a university and unveil China Culture Center in Brussels before her British leg from Wednesday.
