Philippines seeks to attract more Chinese students

The Philippines' pavilion is one of the most eye-catching at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai, the venue for the first China International Import Expo.

Designed to resemble an oyster shell opening to reveal a luminescent pearl - believed to be the first product Philippine traders exchanged with their Chinese counterparts - the whitewashed pavilion pays homage to bilateral relations between the two nations that stretch back more than 400 years.

The Philippines also stands out because it is one of the few Southeast Asian nations at the expo that is not just offering tangible products such as agricultural or electronic goods - it also wants to sell higher education.