Xinhua News Agency – Beijing, September 5  The 2020 International Forum on Trade in Education Services took place today. Statistics show that more and more foreign students come to Beijing for further study, and the number now stands at about 110,000, making the city a major study-abroad destination in the Asia-Pacific region. This reflects Beijing's efforts in recent years to further opening-up in the education sector and to create an enabling environment for international students.

As one of the thematic forums, the 2020 International Forum on Trade in Education Services is the first-ever education forum at the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS). The forum aims to discuss the development trends of global trade in education services and the new opportunities in the post-COVID era for education. Besides the forum, an education exhibition is held concurrently. 

Zhang Jiaming, Vice Mayor of Beijing, said at the forum that with faster globalization and further opening-up of China's education sector, education has become increasingly important in the system of trade in services. With an abundance of resources and advantages, Beijing has further opened up its education sector and continuously improved the environment for education services, leading to an increase in the market share of trade in education services. These efforts have turned Beijing into a major player in the world in education services.

In recent years, Beijing has rolled out policies on educational opening-up such as the Three-Year Action Plan for Opening-up and Reform of the Education Sector. It has also refined related quality standards, delegated power, improved services, and taken solid steps to expand opening-up.

Beijing is a major source of international students, with an ever-increasing number of students studying abroad over the years. There are 150 cooperative educational institutions and programs between China and other countries, and schools of various types and at various levels have become more internationalized.

Meanwhile, Beijing has conducted more frequent exchanges with other parts of the world in education. Currently, nearly 2,700 schools in Beijing have established ties with overseas counterparts, with more and more students and teachers engaged in exchange programs. Over 5,000 foreign teachers work in the city.

There are also a large number of online educational institutions based in Beijing, whose users have kept growing over the years. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, online educational institutions have gained momentum, leveraging their advantages to provide high-quality services for users.

The epidemic can never hold back Beijing from further opening-up. If anything, the booming trade in education services has boosted Beijing's confidence and determination in this regard, said Zhang.

(Reporter: Wei Mengjia)