Beijing – According to statistics from China’s Ministry of Education, nearly 360,000 students from outside China were enrolled in Chinese universities in 2013. Most of them are in the country for Chinese language courses, but they are also looking for possible job opportunities with their newly-learned skills.

The Beijing Language and Culture University is the university with the country’s largest number of registered foreign students.

“China is becoming more influential on the global stage, its culture and economy are both very promising. There are more Chinese learners in Europe now,” a French student said.

“Many Italian brands are promoting themselves here in China, and companies have started collaborating with their Chinese counterparts. I figure that if I learn to speak Chinese, there’ll be a greater chance to get a job either here or in Italy,” an Italian student said.

“The Chinese companies are expanding their businesses around the world in a surprisingly fast way. Many of them have opened offices in other countries to seek further business opportunities – they first hire Chinese who are able to speak the local language, but that’s far not enough. So they’re looking for locals who can speak Chinese. Usually they are well-paid positions, so it’s tempting many people to learn Chinese,” Wang Luxin, Deputy Principal of Beijing Language & Culture University, said.

The number of foreign students coming to China increases every year, but the attraction of the country is not limited only to the job market. Simply living in China for a few months to experience the culture is still an attractive option for many. Source: CCTV