(Yicai) July 19 -- Education First has doubled its investment in China this year compared with last year, according to the executive vice president of the Swedish education company's Chinese arm.

EF invested CNY100 million (USD13.8 million) in its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Shanghai last year and added CNY200 million this year, half of which has already been allocated, Liu Jinran told Yicai in an interview.

On the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic and China's introduction of policies to ease students' academic burden, EF has been undergoing a series of adjustments in the Chinese market in recent years, including switching its focus to adult language training, which is mainly online, Liu noted, adding that the company is no longer focusing on offline training.

"Many Chinese firms plan to expand overseas, so their management and employees are seeking more language training to improve their international communication skills," Liu said.

To accelerate the development of its online business, EF plans to develop a series of smart teaching tools, including artificial intelligence-assisted error checking and correction for writing, Liu explained. "However, learning still requires experienced teachers, and AI will not completely replace humans."

EF entered the Chinese market in 1997 when it established its first office in Shanghai, which has now become the company's Asia-Pacific HQ. Shanghai is not only the birthplace of EF's business in China but also a key market for development, Liu pointed out.

"The business environment in Shanghai is excellent, with strong support for the development of foreign enterprises both at the policy and operational level," Liu said. "The city has a large concentration of talents and is home to many international companies, providing significant business opportunities for language training institutions like EF."

Editors: Dou Shicong, Futura Costaglione