The China Education Expo 2024 (CEE) wrapped up in Beijing on Saturday, offering international education providers a platform to connect with Chinese students and institutions.
The two-day event attracted more than 380 colleges and institutions from 38 countries and regions, including France, Finland, and the United States.
As a guest country, France introduced 35 institutions of higher learning to the expo, including comprehensive universities, engineering colleges, business schools and institutes of technology, many of which are world-renowned.
"We are the top business school in Europe. Our strengths lie in finance, consulting and interdisciplinary expertise," said Han Xiaotong, an admissions officer for HEC Paris in the Asia Pacific region.
Beginning on October 26, the expo was held in Guangzhou, Shanghai and Chengdu and saw a steady increase in the number of participating institutions. In Beijing alone, the number of participating institutions went up 25 percent compared with last year.
Portugal and Serbia were the first-time exhibitors this year. They hoped to enhance cooperation in education between their respective countries and China.
"By the numbers, the trend in the [number]of students from China going to Portugal is increasing along the years. We have been working with Chinese universities, and in the same way, we are promoting that Chinese students can go to Portugal. We welcome very much the offer that the Chinese authorities can do to increase the number of Portuguese students being send to China. That's the aim of people-to-people exchanges," said Paulo Nascimento, Portuguese ambassador to China.
"A very limited number of Chinese students are currently studying in Serbia, less than 1,000. We are here for the first time with cooperation between China and Serbia. And we think that we should promote more cooperation between the Chinese and Serbian higher education institutions, [because] there is room for improvement in this cooperation," said Maria, an exhibitor from Serbia.
The China Education Expo is a show tour organized by the China Education Association for International Exchange and held every October in Beijing, Shanghai and other cities since 2000. It is the largest student recruitment and B2B networking event in China, also an important part of the China Annual Conference and Expo for International Education.
Last year, 374 overseas schools, colleges, universities, governmental organizations, embassies and consulates from 34 countries and regions attended the CEE tour, which attracted around 30,000 visitors in four cities from all over the country.
China Education Expo concludes in Beijing
A former television host from Taiwan, Zhai Xuan, has made a pivotal decision to leave mainstream broadcasting in order to create content that provides a better understanding of the Chinese mainland and cross-strait relations.
Zhai, a seasoned television host with over a decade of experience in Taiwan's media landscape, recently addressed an audience at an event in Beijing, where she revealed her complete transition into independent online media.
In her remarks, she articulated her aspiration to bridge what she perceives as a significant information gap between audiences on both sides of the Strait, highlighting her commitment to fostering a deeper understanding and connection through her new endeavors.
"I was really surprised by all the fake news. There were stories saying people on the mainland can't afford tea eggs or that they live in mud houses and in Taiwan, this was the main information many people received," said Zhai.
Zhai said she initially began producing online videos to challenge such perceptions while continuing her work as a television host.
In April 2025, she travelled to the mainland with her father to fulfill her late grandfather's wish to return to his hometown. The trip, which reunited family members separated since 1949, was recorded in a video series titled "Journey to Find Our Roots", drawing attention from viewers in both Taiwan and the mainland.
"Many people in Taiwan told me that after watching, they wanted to apply for a mainland travel permit immediately and go looking for their relatives. Some had long forgotten these things, but after seeing my story, they began thinking about their hometowns and family members they had never met and decided to search for their roots," Zhai shared her story at the event.
By mid-2025, Zhai said she began to feel increasing pressure amid rising political tensions and a tightening atmosphere around cross-Strait exchanges in Taiwan.
After more than 12 years in the industry, Zhai resigned from her position, believing it was the right thing to do.
"At that moment, I felt this was a major issue，not just for me, but for Chinese people on both sides of the Strait. If I backed down then, I wouldn’t be standing on the right side," said Zhai.
Since leaving television, Zhai has broadened her online programming to encompass a range of daily-life topics, including practical guidance on applying for a mainland travel permit and using commonly employed mobile applications, in addition to content that delves into historical memory and cultural connections across the Strait.
As the debate over cross-Strait relations continues in Taiwan, Zhai said she remains committed to her current path.
Former Taiwan TV host bridges cross-Strait divide via online media
