Liu wants more US students in China

Updated: 2015-06-25 14:13

By AMY HE in WASHINGTON(China Daily USA)

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Vice-Premier Liu Yandong would like to see more American students study in China.

"Right now, there's a deep imbalance, and we hope that there will be more American students in China," she said.

Liu spoke during a plenary session of the China-US High-Level Consultation on People-to-People Exchange (CPE) on Wednesday in Washington. For the first time, the CPE is happening in the same city as the China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue.

"We're proud of the strength of these exchanges, but we think there's more to be done," said US Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken, adding that there are only about 14,000 American students in China, but close to 275,000 Chinese students in the United States.

Blinken said that the partnerships formed at this round of CPE will encourage more cross-cultural study abroad.

Liu, co-chair on the CPE with Secretary of State John Kerry, said that the exchange of students is "our priority". China will launch a new initiative that will award 10,000 Chinese students with scholarships to study in the US.

The two sides have implemented 104 deliverables on education during this CPE, according to Liu.

Also on the education front, the nations announced that universities in both countries have signed Memorandums of Understanding to increase collaboration in research, with a higher-education meeting being planned for later this year.

A network of 42 historically black colleges in the US is announcing the formation of a US-China university scholarship alliance, which will enable 1,000 US students to study in China with support from the Chinese government.

Hanban, officially known as the Chinese National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language, will lead a delegation of students from the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities to study in China as well.

"Involvement and understanding are what people-to-people exchanges are all about — learning about each other's traditions, appreciating each other's cultures and concerns, worldviews and perspectives, and ultimately, if all goes well, understanding each other and generating trust that enables partnership," Blinken said.

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