Beijing universities are to enroll an extra 10,000 foreign students in 2004, a rise of 33 percent over last year, the Beijing Morning Post daily reported Thursday.

The students would expand international exchanges in higher education, the paper quoted an official with the Beijing Municipal Education Commission as saying.

Beijing is a major teaching base for foreign students in China, with over 30,000 overseas students from 156 countries and regions, accounting for 40 percent of the national total.

Surveys show that foreigners studying in Beijing are increasingly engaged in modern science subjects, including economics, finance and law, while in the past they mainly studied the Chinese language and traditional Chinese medicine.

"Half of the foreign students plan to work here after graduation," said Qu Delin, president of Beijing Language and Culture University.

Beijing Language and Culture University, Peking University and Beijing Normal University are the state designated Chinese teaching bases for overseas students.

(Xinhua News Agency February 6, 2004)