Mr. Tony Westaway, director of International Office of Loughborough University. [China.org.cn/Wang Ke]

"This year Chinese students will be paying 71.2 percent of the 2007 cost. I think we will get a lot of applications this year. We are very competitive."

The 2009 China Education Expo will be open to the public in Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing and Guangzhou from February 28 to March 15.

Zhang Xiaowen said: "Because of the poor global outlook, even the job market in China is difficult. It's hard to find a good job. So I'm better off furthering my studies."

"The value of the yuan is rising. It means an overseas education is getting cheaper. I think it's a good time to go to the UK. About 70 percent of my classmates are thinking of studying abroad," she said.

(China.org.cn by Wang Ke March 1, 2009)