An official from a Swedish exhibitor explains to a local visitor her school's policies for overseas students yesterday at the China Education Expo 2007 in Shanghai East Asia Exhibition Hall.

The cost of overseas studies for Chinese students has risen alarmingly, it was revealed at this year's China Education Expo.

Information from the exhibition showed some costs had escalated by 40 percent.

The cost of popular study choices for Chinese students in Britain, the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Singapore increased from five to 40 percent from the previous year's costs.

The two-day tour visit was held at Shanghai East Asia Exhibition Hall on the weekends. About 20,000 visitors were attracted to the scene, according to officials with China Education Association for International Exchange, the event's organizer.

The number of countries and regions involved in the exhibition for foreign colleges and schools reached 40, the highest since the annual tour was held in China.

More than 400 overseas universities, technology colleges and language schools participated in the exhibition, said the CEAIE officials.

The tour had been held in Beijing, Qingdao and Wuhan cities since October 20 and would continue to tour Xi'an, Chengdu and Shenzhen until early next month.

(Shanghai Dialy October 30, 2007)