Students in the Mandarin Excellence Program, a language learning initiative delivered through state secondary schools in England, share memories of their summer study trips to China during a reception in London on Thursday, hosted by the education section of the Chinese embassy in the United Kingdom. Zheng Wanyin / China Daily

　　The education section of the Chinese embassy in the United Kingdom hosted a reception recently in London for students in the Mandarin Excellence Program, or MEP, to celebrate the completion of their summer study trips to China.

　　Starting in 2016, the MEP, which is funded by the UK Department for Education, has been delivered through state secondary schools in England with support from the British Council and the University College London Institute of Education, or UCL IOE.

　　The study trip in China is a key component of MEP. This summer, more than 1,300 students and teachers from 60 secondary schools across England traveled to China for an 11-day visit, with groups hosted by 18 universities across 11 cities.

　　Kuang Jianjiang, counselor at the Chinese embassy in the UK, said the MEP has "produced impressive results". From modest beginnings with fewer than 400 students across 14 schools, this year sees the MEP mark its 10th anniversary, having put more than 18,000 students on the path to fluency in Mandarin, he said.

　　China and the UK have a 54-year history of student exchanges, with MEP's immersive trips standing out as a leading example, Kuang said. Through on-the-ground experience, more than 10,000 MEP participants and teachers have gained an authentic, multidimensional and well-rounded understanding of China.