ULAN BATOR, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Education has been playing an important role in strengthening bilateral cooperation and friendship between China and Mongolia, Chinese Ambassador to Mongolia Xing Haiming said here Thursday.

Xing made the remarks during the opening ceremony of the 7th Congress of Mongolian Teachers in the country's capital of Ulan Bator via video message.

"Education is a vital part of people-to-people and cultural exchanges between to two countries, thus playing a significant role in bringing the two peoples closer and improving bilateral relations," Xing said.

According to statistics, at least 10,000 Mongolian students have studied in China in recent years, Xing said, adding that the Chinese government provides more than 200 government scholarships to Mongolian students each year.

The Chinese ambassador expressed confidence that the number of young Mongolians wishing to study in China will increase in the coming years.

Around 800 selected teachers from every corner of Mongolia participated in the congress to explore ways to address the pressing problems facing Mongolian teachers and the education sector.

The first Congress of Mongolian Teachers was held in 1935 with the most recent taking place in 1996, according to the Mongolian Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Sports.

Currently, more than 40,000 teachers work in Mongolia's education sector and the average monthly salary of Mongolian teachers in public schools are around 240 U.S. dollars, the ministry said.