The number of Chinese students seeking education in the United Kingdom in 2016 has continued to grow over the past 10 years, according to figures recently released by the British Council, the UK's international organization for educational opportunities and cultural relations.

Nearly 73,000 students from the Chinese mainland obtained student visas from UK by the end of September this year, a 9 percent jump from the same period last year, the council said on a news conference on Thursday in Beijing.

A group of statistics and market research results relevant to education and overseas study in the UK were revealed during the event.

China is the top origin country for overseas students in the UK. Most Chinese students in the UK receive higher education, and their number increased by 50 percent over the past five years, according to Jazreel Goh, director of education and sports marketing at British Council China.

The council's research finds that academic reputation and safe environment are among the biggest attractions of studying in the UK for Chinese students and their parents.

According to Goh, countries with looser immigration policies, such as Australia and New Zealand, are growing fast as overseas study destinations for Chinese students, but the UK can still maintain its advantage thanks to the high quality of its educational institutions.

Goh said the UK has been strengthening cooperation with China in education in recent years. For example, the UK has invited Chinese education experts to share views in order to understand what results and achievements are sought for China’s educational reforms.

By the end of this year, about 270 cases of UK-China joint operation of courses or educational institutions will have been carried out in China. Chinese students can acquire British-recognized degrees by taking online courses and studying at those jointly operated institutions.

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