Many people wonder why the United States has been a hotspot for Chinese students for years, despite its extremely strict visa policy. On the other hand, China’s rise as an economic powerhouse is resulting in a rapid expansion of its higher education system, making it the faster-growing destination for American foreign exchange students.

Recently, according to a study by the Institute of International Education, a research organization based in New York, the number of American students seeking higher education in China has never been greater, increasing by 90 percent from 2002 to 2004. Alan Goodman, president of the institute, believes that the phenomenon lies in the pace of change in China, which is spending billions of dollars to expend and transform its higher educational facilities into world-class institutions.