More Chinese students study abroad in 2011  

2011年出国留学人数达34万 推进中国公共外交

中国教育部国际司副司长杨军16日在北京外国语大学举行的第三届公共外交论坛上介绍，2011年中国出国留学人数达34万，当年在外留学人员达142万，其中当年在学人数超过111万。

Beijing (CNS) -- The number of Chinese students studying overseas totaled 340,000 in 2011, Yang Jun, deputy director of the Ministry of Education's International Department, said Sunday.

Yang cited official statistics, saying that over 96 percent of the overseas Chinese students were self-funded. The United States, Germany, Britain, Japan and Australia were major destinations for the students, he added.

China was home to 290,000 overseas students in 2011, a number that is expected to reach 500,000 by the year 2020. The improvement of personal exchange in the educational field has promoted the development of Chinese public diplomacy, said Yang.