Students take photographs on the campus at the University of Sydney on July 4. (Photo: AP)

Over 2.5 million Chinese students studied abroad from 2016 to 2019, according to the Ministry of Education (MOE).

More than 2 million of these students returned to China after completing their programs, said Liu Jin, head of the Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges under the MOE, at a Tuesday press conference.

This year, the country has so far received more than 300,000 applications for credential evaluation and recognition from students studying overseas, up by some 30,000 over last year, said Cheng Jiacai, director-general of the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange.

In order to encourage more students to return from overseas, China will actively address the needs of returning students, improve the quality of services and strive to create a favorable employment and entrepreneurial environment for them, said Cheng.