China attracted more than 162,000 students from 185 countries and regions in 2006, an official with the Ministry of Education (MOE) said in Beijing on Monday.

"China's educational sector has made remarkable progress, especially regarding teaching quality and methodology," said Cao Guoxing, director of the MOE international cooperation and exchange department, at a function for foreign students celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on Tuesday.

"The quality of our higher education has been widely acclaimed by other countries, thus attracting more exchange students," he said.

The government has signed agreements with 30 countries and regions regarding mutual recognition of academic certificates and degrees.

Official statistics show that the number of foreign students in 2006 was triple that of 2000.

Foreign students entered more than 500 universities and higher education institutes. Their research subjects covered almost all of the academic subjects available in China.

(Xinhua News Agency September 25, 2007)