Nearly 200 scholars from China and the United States gathered Saturday in Beijing celebrating the 25th anniversary of the "China-US Fulbright Program", an educational exchange project co-sponsored by the Chinese and US governments.

Zhang Xinsheng, China's vice-minister of Education said at the celebration that the Fulbright Program has seen smooth progress since 1979 when it was kicked off in China, through the joint efforts by the two sides.

Zhang stressed China is dedicating to boosting external educational exchange. Since 1979, around 800,000 experts and students went abroad for further study. And since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, China received a total of 630,000 overseas students, signed agreement with more than 20 countries to mutually recognize higher education certificates.

US ambassador to China Clark T. Randt said the US-China educational exchange is important to the US side. The Fulbright Program is also a symbol of the strengthened relationship between the two countries and the two peoples.

World War II tragically highlighted the great importance of international relationship, Randt said, adding that the communication in education and culture is the best way to establish mutual understanding.

The Fulbright Program, advocated by the former US senator Fulbright, has so far sponsored nearly 30,000 scholars in 140 countries and regions, including 600 Chinese scholars. The program annually offers financial support to 50 Chinese scholars to make advanced research in the United States, and 20 US scholars to give teaching in China.