China's Ministry of Education is ready to offer full scholarships to American students who wish to pursue their university degrees in China.

The program officially kicked off in April when Chinese State Councilor Liu Yandong and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton signed the China-US Consultation on People to People Exchange agreement, even though the actual offering of scholarships started last year.

From 2010 and 2013, the program provides tuition and living allowance to up to 10,000 American students who enroll in universities in China for undergraduate or postgraduate degrees, said Zhang Jin, a secondary secretary in charge of the education exchange program. Students enrolled in joint-degree programs between Chinese and American universities also may be eligible.

"We hope the scholarships will encourage American students to delve into China studies and other subjects in China in earnest," Zhang said.

The scholarships will also give some support to US President Barack Obama's call to send more than 100,000 Americans to China to learn the Chinese language and culture, she said.

The Chinese government will also pay miscellaneous fees to cover books, internships, registration, on-campus accommodations and medical insurance, she said.

The scholarships constitute part of China's plan to attract some 500,000 foreign students to study in China by 2020. The number of US students in China is expected to become one of the largest.

China's central government provided 800 million yuan ($123.9 million) in scholarships to international students last year and local governments offered about 110 million yuan in scholarships, according to Zhang Xiuqin, director of the Education Ministry's department of international cooperation and exchange.

The scholarships benefited 22,390 international students last year, 22.7 percent more than in 2009.

The number of foreign students in China has risen dramatically, from 110,844 in 2004 to a record 265,090-plus last year, according to the latest statistics released by the ministry.

International students can find more information at www.studyinchina.edu.cn.

Li Xing reported from Washington and Chen Jia from Beijing.

(China Daily 07/22/2011 page6)