Neil Lawson, the Department for Education's MEP lead, also highlighted how the trips bring Chinese language learning to life beyond the classroom.

　　"The MEP itself … is about developing confidence, broadening horizons and building understanding between people and cultures," he said. "We want the study trip to bring that ambition to life. It gives students the opportunity to use Mandarin in real-life situations, to experience China's history, culture and society at first hand, and to form friendships and memories that should last well beyond the visit itself. These are experiences you can't get from a textbook."

　　Fiona Iglesias, head of UK schools at the British Council, pointed to MEP's wider significance in a fast-changing geopolitical and economic environment.

　　"At a time when the world around us is becoming increasingly complex and uncertain, this is important so that the UK can work with other countries in education, science and research, the arts, diplomacy and trade," she said. "Working with China will only become more important as the world seeks to solve enormous challenges … and the MEP students are the young people who have the opportunity to be at the front of that engagement."

　　Matt Schofield, head of operations at the Center for Chinese Language Education at UCL IOE, noted that the phrase "life-changing" appeared repeatedly in the MEP evaluation reports.

　　"The strongest impacts were not only linguistic but also personal," he said. "It's great to hear that the students who participated reported a significantly greater understanding of Chinese culture, increased confidence in speaking Mandarin in real-life situations, stronger motivation to continue learning the language, and a greater desire to travel and engage with the wide world … Many teachers who were visiting China for the first time reported similar experiences and described having their own preconceptions transformed."