"In 1998 the number of Indonesian students in China was recorded at only 1,000.'Beijing (ANTARA News) - Indonesian students in China have set up an association in the first congress held here on October 27-29.
The congress attended by student representatives from several cities in China has named Trisna Metta Widyani as the chairperson of the Indonesian Students` Association (PPI).
Trisna Metta Widyana is a student of a master program on international relations of Xiamen University.
Education attache of the Indonesian embassy in China, Chaerun Anwar said the PPI China was only formed now because the number of Indonesian students in China used to be very small compared to that in other countries.
"In 1998 the number of Indonesian students in China was recorded at only 1,000 mostly studying Mandarin language. After 2004 following China`s progress in various fields including education the number of Indonesian students pursuing further study in China has continued to increase to reach 9,535 right now," he said.
He said the Indonesian students study in various secondary schools and universities in Beijing, Shanghai, Nanning, Chongqing and others, adding most Indonesian students or around 62 percent are studying Mandarin.
So far the Indonesian students have set up organizations in their respective regions but "now as their number has increased time has come for them to unite in one organization accommodating all Indonesian students in China," he said.
(T.R018/H-YH)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
