BEIJING, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Ministry of Education said Wednesday that a total of 8.2 million college students were expected to graduate in 2018, facing great challenges to find jobs.

The number of college graduates in China has been rising since 2001. There were 7.95 million college graduates in 2017, an increase of 300,000 on 2016, the ministry said.

Steps should be taken to create more channels for college graduates to find jobs and start businesses, vice minister of education Lin Huiqing said at a video conference on college graduate employment.

Lin called for efforts to encourage graduates to find jobs or start businesses in high technology, advanced manufacturing, the service sector, and other emerging industries.

Employment discrimination should be rejected, Lin said, vowing to fight illegal activities, to safeguard the rights of college graduates.