If surveys are any indication, more Chinese students will get their education in Australia in the next five to ten years.

This was contained in a recent HSBC survey among 1,000 mainland Chinese respondents which showed that their top choice destination for education in Asia is Australia. The respondents also ranked Australia as fourth in the world behind the U.S., UK and Canada.

The survey, conducted by Nielsen, revealed that among the 1,000 respondents, 73 per cent are planning to send their kids abroad to study, while the other 20 per cent plan to move with their children overseas and also get an education.

At present, only 10 per cent of the Chinese respondents are actually studying overseas, but this is foreseen to grow to as much as 68 per cent within the next five to 10 years.

"This is good news for the Australian education sector," said HSBC Bank Australia Retail Banking and Wealth Management head Graham Heunis. He said the results only show that Australia has a solid academic reputation in the region, being the top of the mind choice of overseas students, including Chinese.

He said the results are welcome news considering the 12 per cent drop in the country's international enrolments from 2010 to 2012.

With the Chinese expressing preference for Australian education, Mr. Heunis said this could also serve the country well in improving its relations with the Asian region. As foreign students stay longer in the country, opportunities for them to work in Australian companies also increase, thus, enabling Australian businesses to offer more jobs relevant to Asian capabilities.

The survey also revealed that those Chinese parents whose children are already studying in Australia are considering setting up businesses like banking facilities. They also expressed their desire to acquire real estate properties in the country.

"For those students and families who return home, it also increases understanding and appreciation of Australian culture in their homeland," Mr. Heunis concluded.