Silk Road Scholarships in China: The 3 Kinds, Explained

This is a sub-program of the Chinese Government Scholarship created under the Belt and Road education action plan, prioritizing fields like green development, digital economy, AI, energy, and finance (Sun Yat-sen University official guide). Mechanics: it runs as Type B. Apply via a designated university on campuschina.org with the university's agency code; the university recommends, CSC decides. Full scholarship: tuition + accommodation + stipend (¥3,000/month master's, ¥3,500 PhD) + insurance (Central South University official). Each university publishes its own eligible-country list, quota and deadline.

Sun Yat-sen University: bachelor's/master's/PhD, 10 seats, 10 target countries (Vietnam, Pakistan, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Yemen, Malaysia, Kazakhstan), agency code 10558, deadline was May 17, 2026 (official). Central South University: master's/PhD in computer science, mining, transportation, civil and geological engineering; 10 countries (incl. Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Tanzania); HSK4 ≥260 or IELTS 6.0/TOEFL 85; agency 10533; deadline was May 20, 2026 (official). Zhejiang Normal University: Chinese-taught bachelor's for Southeast Asian and African countries, agency 10345 (official). Pattern: applications close March–May, later than the main CSC window.

Separate money from local governments: Xi'an City Belt & Road Scholarship (via Xi'an Jiaotong University and NPU): bachelor's ¥15,000/yr, master's ¥20,000/yr, PhD ¥25,000/yr, plus XJTU tuition waivers on top; HSK4; deadlines April 15 (postgrad) / June 30 (bachelor's); not combinable with other scholarships (XJTU official). Fujian Provincial Government Scholarship (e.g. at Xiamen University): ¥30,000/¥40,000/¥50,000 per year by level, ~20 awards, window December–April (XMU official).

Example: Southwest University's New Silk Road Scholarship (Chongqing) for Belt & Road country citizens. Type A: tuition + ¥1,100–1,700/month by level; Type B: tuition only; GPA ≥3.0/4.0; apply January 1–June 15 directly to SWU; excludes insurance and accommodation (official). Many universities run similar B&R-branded awards, so always read what's actually covered.

If you're from a listed B&R country and want full funding: the CSC Silk Road Program (Kind 1); it's a complete CGS package and its March–May deadlines give CSC main-round rejects a second shot in the same year. If you're self-funded or missed CSC: city/provincial awards (Kind 2) meaningfully cut costs and are applied for alongside admission. Never assume stacking is allowed; most explicitly ban holding two Chinese government-linked scholarships.

1. Check whether your citizenship is on the target-country list of a Kind-1 university (each publishes it). 2. Apply Type B on campuschina.org with THAT university's agency code + the university's own portal. 3. In parallel, tick city/provincial scholarship boxes inside self-funded applications where offered. 4. Deadlines cluster March–June, so set reminders in February. Our scholarships overview and university directory list who offers what. Country lists, quotas, agency codes: it's fiddly. The $50 shortlisting session matches your passport and profile to the Silk Road programs you can actually win. *CSC Path is an independent educational resource, not affiliated with the China Scholarship Council. Always verify through official sources.*