BEIJING - China on Thursday applauded the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea (ROK) for fixing the date of their first summit in more than a decade, expressing the hope that the momentum of dialogue can continue.Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said at a daily press briefing that China appreciated the efforts made by both the DPRK and the ROK.As a close neighbor of the Korean Peninsula, China has always been glad to see the DPRK and the ROK hold dialogues, improve relations and promote reconciliation and cooperation, as these are conducive to peace and stability in the region, Lu said."We hope the momentum of dialogue can continue and peace can last," he said.The DPRK and the ROK on Thursday agreed to hold a summit on April 27 in the truce village of Panmunjom, the first meeting between the leaders of the two sides in 11 years.The agreement was reached during a high-level dialogue between the two sides, which were held earlier in the day at Tongilgak, a DPRK building in Panmunjom.Positive changes have taken place on the Korean Peninsula this year, said Lu.He called on all parties concerned to support the improvement of inter-Korean ties and make concrete efforts to facilitate peace talks so as to promote the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and a political solution to the Korean Peninsula issue to bring peace, stability, development and prosperity to the region. custom bar braceletcustom sports braceletscustom logo wristbandsde securite pour personne ageeembossed wristbandscolorfilled wristbandsembossed printed wristbandsdual layer wristbands
CANBERRA - More than 600,000 international students studied in Australia in 2017, with China, India and Malaysia taking up the largest proportion, Universities Australia's data showed on Wednesday.According to the data, a total of 624,001 international students from over 190 countries and regions attended Australian institutions in 2017, up from 553,170 in 2016, with 44 percent enrolled in higher education institutions.China was the biggest source of international students in Australia with 184,512 students, or 29.5 percent of the total figure, followed by India with 68,285 and 26,006 from Malaysia.Belinda Robinson, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Universities Australia, said that in addition to bringing cultural, personal and social value to Australia, international students also generated more than A$30.9 billion ($24.1 billion) in 2017.They're choosing to come to Australia in record numbers for a world-class higher education, the lifestyle, and our safe and welcoming communities, Robinson said in a statement on Wednesday.She said Australia's international education offerings have grown to be the nation's third largest export sector and it is incredibly important to our diplomatic, political, trade and business connections around the world.Robinson said ensuring every international student enjoyed their experience was important because they each could serve as unofficial ambassadors for Australia when they returned to their home countries.Behind the statistics are more than half a million stories of students forging a personal connection with Australia, and who we hope will gain new familiarity and great affection for our country, she said.Those people-to-people links are so important for Australia's relationships in the region, and it gives Australian students the benefit of a truly global perspective in their education.
