China's education market has become increasingly attractive as more than 140 overseas educational institutions will attend the China International Education Exhibition which opened in Beijing on November 12.

The exhibition, a two-phase show which will be held three days in Beijing and another three days in Shanghai, has also lured a great number of local visitors including students who are interested in studying abroad and parents who want to help their children get some information about overseas schools.

"It is a rare opportunity for us to learn about information that may not be found anywhere else including the net," said a woman, who gave her surname as Lin, from southern Hunan Province.

Patrick T. Fong, executive director of the US-based IEF Education Foundation, said China is a huge education market with great potential. He expressed his hope to introduce over 4,000 American institutions of higher learning to China as well as some middle schools.

Mary M. Kowta, director of International Student Services and Recruitment, California State University, called China a major target in the Asia-Pacific education market, noting that they plan to attract more Chinese students to study in California and to carry out cooperation projects with Chinese universities.

Some local analysts pointed out that overseas schools have been attracted to China for the enormous potential of local families whose bank deposits have approached 6,000 billion yuan (about 750 billion US dollars).

According to official estimates, local families plan to spend 10 percent of their deposits for the education of their children, while the number of universities and colleges is far less than the needed.

An official with the China International Education Exchange Society said the Chinese government lacks the funds for the undertaking so that non-government bodies including international investors are encouraged to enter the market.

By the end of this June, 30 Sino-overseas joint venture education projects have been approved by the government.