Visitors are drawn to the British booth at an international education fair in Beijing. [Photo/VCG]

The number of Chinese students seeking education in the United Kingdom in 2016 has continued to grow, according to figures recently released by the British Council, the United Kingdom's international organization for educational opportunities and cultural relations.

Nearly 73,000 students from the Chinese mainland obtained student visas from the UK by the end of September, a 9 percent jump from the same period in 2015, the council said at a recent news conference in Beijing.

A group of statistics and market-research results relevant to education and overseas study in the UK were revealed during the event.

China is the top origin country for overseas students in Britain. Most Chinese students in the UK receive higher education, and their number has increased by 50 percent over the past five years, according to Jazreel Goh, director of education and sports marketing at British Council China.

The council's research finds that academic reputation and a safe environment are among the biggest attractions of studying in Britain for Chinese students and their parents.

Goh says the UK has been strengthening cooperation with China in education in recent years. By the end of 2016, about 270 cases of UK-China jointly operated courses or educational institutions had been carried out in China. Chinese students can acquire degrees recognized in Britain by taking online courses and studying at jointly operated institutions.