The number of international students in South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region has surpassed 10,000, increasing 20 percent per year, the region's education department said on June 26.

Nearly 80 percent of these international students come from ASEAN countries, making Guangxi one of the major study destinations for ASEAN students.

The 2015 China ASEAN Vocational Education Exhibition & Forum was held in Nanning, capital of Guangxi, on the same day.

Under the China-ASEAN Expo, the Belt and Road Initiative and the good relations between China and ASEAN, the number of Guangxi students abroad and international students in Guangxi has increased in recent years, said Cai Changzhuo, deputy director of Guangxi education department.

According to official statistics, the number of Guangxi students abroad reached 14,318 in the past five years; and 10,130 international students studied in the autonomous region.

Guangxi has taken measures to increase international enrollment, financial aid, and channels for students to study abroad.

The China-ASEAN Higher Vocational Education and Human Resources Development International Forum is expected to be held in Guangxi this September.