More than 110,000 out of the 320,000 Chinese students who went abroad for further studies since China's opening-up in 1978 have returned to China after graduation, and made great contributions to the country's economic and social developments.

Zhang Baoqing, vice-minister of education, announced the figures in his address to the ongoing 11th plenary session of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing on December 16.

He pointed out that the Chinese students who studied abroad have reduced the gap between China and the developed nations in areas of academic and scientific research. Some of the returned students have used the advanced technologies they have learned abroad to boost the domestic economy.

From 1978 to 1998, more than 320,000 Chinese went to 103 countries for further studies, 50,000 of whom were sent by the state, 100,000 by the government units they work in, and 170,000 at their own expense.

"China's eye-catching achievements over the past 20 years and its promising future are encouraging an increasing number of Chinese students to return home," said the vice minister.

Statistics show that more than 5,000 students returned to China in 1995, and the figures for the following years are 6,000, 7,000 and 7,400 respectively, signaling a yearly increase of 13 percent.

In addition, more and more returned students are setting up their own businesses. Shanghai, China's economic center, boasts over 750 such entities, and one of them even pushed its annual turnover to more than 600 million RMB yuan.

Zhang said that the government will stick to its basic principles for overseas study: supporting the Chinese people to study abroad; encouraging them to return to China after graduation; and ensuring their freedom to come and go.

He urged departments concerned to find ways to lure more students returning home, so as to promote the development of China 's high-tech industries and enhance the competitive edge of China in the new century.