Local children learn Chinese chess during "China Day" at the Confucius Institute. Provided By Hanban

Promoting people-to-people exchanges is high on the agenda of Chinese President Xi Jinping's ongoing visit to Australia as the two countries sign a series of agreements in a number of fields including education today.

In an article he wrote for Friday's Australian Financial Review newspaper, Xi cited Chinese students in Australia as evidence of vibrant exchanges between the two countries.

"China is the largest source of tourists for Australia while Australia is the second-largest destination of outbound Chinese students," Xi wrote. "In 2013 the mutual visits between our two countries exceeded 1.5 million, and more than 200,000 Chinese students are studying in Australia."

About half of the Chinese students are studying in higher learning institutions. The Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane has been welcoming students from China since the mid-1990s, said Professor Scott Sheppard, deputy vice-chancellor.

From a modest initial enrollment of about 50 students majoring in business, mostly from Nanjing and Shanghai, the Chinese student population at QUT has now grown to almost 2,000, he said.

They study a wide range of courses at both bachelor and postgraduate levels.

Students in Beijing show keen interest in Australian universities at an international education fair in March. Feng Yongbin / China Daily

"QUT has also paid great attention to developing mutually beneficial partnerships with Chinese universities and other academic institutions," said Sheppard.

Among them are Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Renmin University of China, Zhejiang University, Tsinghua University, Beijing Normal University, Sun Yat-sen University, Tongji University and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, he said.

"QUT was the first Queensland university to host a Confucius Institute, and quite uniquely, QUT's partner is the Jiangsu Education Commission," he said.

He added that Chinese students who choose Brisbane as their overseas study destination will find themselves in a safe, friendly, multicultural environment. Some 26 percent of Brisbane residents were born in other countries.

The multicultural diversity is also reflected in the international student population at QUT, which is likely to reach 8,000 in a total student population of about 49,000 in 2015.

"It is QUT's goal to provide all of its international students, including those from China, with a quality educational, cultural and social experience as well as an academic qualification recognized worldwide," said Sheppard.

The University of Sydney is also popular - it now has more than 7,000 Chinese students. Its most sought-after programs are in the business school, the faculty of engineering and information technologies, and in arts and social sciences, said Sally Sitou, the university's international media adviser.

Michael Spence, vice-chancellor of the University of Sydney, noted "Australia's relationship with China needs to deepen beyond one based on resource exports to a more diverse relationship focused on services, knowledge and shared ideas".

"For this reason, the sustainable future of our relationship lies with our students and researchers, and our highly educated population in knowledge sectors and creative industries.

"By choosing to study at the University of Sydney, Chinese students get a world-class education. Importantly, they are also given the opportunity to exchange ideas with their peers from Australia and around the world.

"The best young minds learning together and understanding one another is the future of diplomatic relations between our two countries," said Spence.

Wen Chen, a master's degree student from China, said she enjoys her time at the University of Sydney

"One of the most important things I have learned here is to always be confident as an ambassador from my country and to take the initiative to meet new challenges," she said.

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