I warmly congratulate the Symposium on Improving National Quality Education and Presentation Ceremony of the book Education for 1.3 Billion by Li Lanqing.

Mr. Li Lanqing is a former leader of China and a well-known statesman. During the ten years in office when was in charge of China’s education, he made an outstanding contribution to China’s educational cause. Mr. Li is also a versatile and accomplished scholar with numerous highly acclaimed works.

Education is one of the key subjects facing the entire world. Most complicated of all is China’s education which is supposed to cover nearly one fifth of the world’s total population. Education for 1.3 Billion is an important book reliving the ten-year reform and development of China’s education at the turn of the century. It discloses the difficulties and challenges Mr. Li Lanqing had to tackle as a decision maker and devoted participant in that process. It also manifests his educational ideals and the tough decisions he made.

Mr. Li writes on the flyleaf: “Dedicated to all the educators in China” Yet I believe this is an excellent book for educators around the world, because it will help China share educational experience with the UK and beyond.

In conclusion, I wish the symposium and the book-giving ceremony a great success.