KUCHING, Aug 22 — The Chinese government will come up with more scholarships for Malaysian students to pursue tertiary education in China, according to China’s Ambassador to Malaysia, Ouyang Yujing.

The Chinese diplomat said not only is the Chinese central government offering scholarships but the various local governments in China are doing the same as well.

"Apart from our central government offering scholarships for overseas students, our various local governments provide similar scholarships too.

"More scholarships ought to be granted to Malaysian students particularly those from Chinese independent secondary schools (Du Zhong). I have been made to understand that students from Malaysia are of top quality,” he said when paying a courtesy call on KTS Group and See Hua Group at Crown Towers in Pending here yesterday.

On hand to receive Ouyang and his 10-member delegation comprising China’s consul-general in Kuching Xing Weiping were KTS Group managing director Datuk Henry Lau and deputy managing director Temenggong Datuk Vincent Lau.

Ouyang pointed out that based on the latest data by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University six out of its top 10 students were Malaysian students.

"This goes to show the quality of Malaysian students. Hence, the university has decided to offer more scholarships for students from Malaysia,” he said.

He reiterated that more scholarships will be offered to Malaysian students who intend to further tertiary education in China.

In a response to Vincent’s request to exempt Du Zhong students from sitting for the Chinese language assessment test prior to admission into universities in China, Ouyang said the Chinese government had been offering such exemption for years.

It is understood that the Chinese government has come up with a letter which states that Du Zhong students in Malaysia are not required to sit for the Chinese language assessment test.

Du Zhong students who plan to pursue higher studies just have to present this official letter upon application for university admission.

"This policy has been there all along, but people may have forgotten about it,” he said, adding that people could always verify it with either the Chinese Consulate here or the Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

Ouyang said this marked his first visit to Sarawak and the major purpose of this official visit was to attend the International Chinese Muslim Conference 2023 organised by the Malaysia Chinese Muslim Association.

He said he had also taken the opportunity to pay courtesy calls on various parties and industry players including those from the fields of politics, economy and education.

"Before this, we could not arrange any visits due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Entering post-pandemic time, we grab the opportunity to gain a better understanding on Sarawak, be it its economy, culture or development prospects,” he said.

He recalled that his last visit to Penang had included a visit to Kwong Wah Yit Poh, which is the oldest Chinese daily in Malaysia.

"Here in Sarawak, we visit See Hua Group, which has a long history in the media industry. The Embassy’s activities have received support from the media who play a vital role in disseminating information,” he said.

Ouyang pledged that the Embassy would work closely with the Chinese Consulate here to see how to enhance collaborations with the local organisations in Sarawak.

"During this visit, we have been enlightened a lot about the politics, economy and social aspects of Sarawak. We learn that Sarawak is not just a state in Malaysia.

"We hope this visit will pave way for more opportunities for collaborations in future. We have gathered good information and feedback, and will determine how we should proceed from where we are,” he said.

He added that China and Sarawak could collaborate further on projects including hydrogen bus, smart city concept and green economy. — Borneo Post Online