China is to put into force a regulation on Sino-foreign cooperation in providing educational services, in an effort to introduce more high-quality education resources from overseas, Education Minister Zhou Ji said in Beijing Friday.
Sino-foreign cooperation in the education sector saw a dramatic increase following China's implementation of the open-up policy in 1978.
Statistics show that, by the end of 2002, there were 712 Sino-foreign schools or projects in 28 Chinese provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities.
The new regulation, which will take effect this September, is a concrete measure by China to satisfy the diversified demand for education after its entry into the World Trade Organization, the minister said.
The regulation clearly defines Sino-foreign cooperation in providing educational services, including the establishment, operations and legal obligations of the jointly run schools.
Under the regulation, China supports Sino-foreign cooperation in higher education and in vocational education, and encourage the jointly run schools to introduce advanced academic courses and teaching materials that are in urgent demand in China.
Zhou said China still lags behind some other countries in terms of educational methods and administration. Sino-foreign cooperation in the education sector will provide more opportunities for Chinese citizens to gain access to high-quality education.
(Xinhua News Agency April 7, 2003)
