Universities in China should not blindly pursue internationalisation or expand the enrolment of international students, said the Ministry of Education. Rather, they should focus on the quality of international education and attract more talented youth from around the world to study at Chinese universities, reports China Daily.

Universities should adopt strict enrolment criteria and management systems for international students, improve educational resources for these students and build model projects for international education, it said. They should put more effort into teaching international students about Chinese laws, regulations, cultures and customs to increase their understanding of China’s development and tell the world what they have observed, it said.

The notice came as President Xi Jinping extended a welcome to excellent students worldwide to study in China in his reply to a letter from Pakistani students studying at the University of Science and Technology Beijing on 17 May. In his letter, Xi encouraged the students to communicate more with their Chinese peers and join hands with youth from all countries to contribute to promoting people-to-people connectivity and building a community with a shared future for humanity