The China Scholarship Council (CSC) is a non-profit institution with legal person status affiliated with the Ministry of Education.

The objective of the CSC is to provide, in accordance with the law, statutes and relevant principles and policies of China, financial assistance to the Chinese citizens wishing to study abroad and to the foreign citizens wishing to study in China in order to develop the educational, scientific and technological, and cultural exchanges and economic and trade cooperation between China and other countries, to strengthen the friendship and understanding between Chinese people and the people of all other countries, and to promote world peace and the socialist modernization drive in China.

China Scholarship Council is financed mainly by the states special appropriations for scholarship programmes. At the same time the CSC accepts donations from the personages, enterprises, social organizations and other organizations at home and abroad.

The tasks of the CSC are to use legal and economic means to manage the affairs of the Chinese citizens studying abroad and of the foreigners studying in China, take charge of the management and utilization of China Scholarship, determine the relevant assistance projects and modes, formulate management regulations and put the scholarship to best use; manage the bilateral and multilateral exchange or unilateral scholarships between China and other countries; manage other matters concerning educational exchanges and scientific and technological cooperation on behalf of relevant organizations, institutions and individuals inside and outside China; provide financial support to the projects conducive to the development of China’s education and its friendly relations with other countries; strive for donations from home and abroad, expand the sources of the Scholarship and increase the Scholarship; establish contacts with its counterparts at home and abroad and carry out exchange and cooperation with them.

The CSC establishes a committee and a secretariat. The committee takes charge of consultation and examination, and the secretariat is in charge of the day-to-day work. The main functions of the secretariat of the CSC are to implement the work principles and plans formulated by the committee; organize the implementation of the financial assistance to the Chinese citizens wishing to study abroad and foreigners wishing to study in China, formulate the relevant management regulations and methods, process, assess and approve the application for financial assistance, award scholarships and provide the relevant consultation and service; supervise and inspect the use of China Scholarship by the projects and people financed by the CSC.