Minister: Academic excellence within reach

China is expected to take the lead in education globally and become one of the most popular overseas study destinations for foreign students by 2049, the centennial of the People's Republic of China, a top education official said on Sunday.

"I hope that China will play a leading role in education worldwide, which means the standards of education in China will become the standards of the world," Education Minister Chen Baosheng said at a news conference on the sidelines of the 19th CPC National Congress in answering a question about his wishes for China's education by 2049.

"I hope that China will have a bigger say in educational affairs globally and make contributions to the development of the world's education using China's own experiences and wisdom," he said.