What is the Chinese Trade Unions Silk Road Scholarship?
Unofficial answer · Sources checked
The Chinese Trade Unions Silk Road Scholarship (CTUSRS) is funded by the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) and is aimed at trade union officials, mainly from countries along the “Belt and Road”, who come to China to study Chinese for one academic year. It is a full scholarship: tuition, accommodation, comprehensive medical insurance, a monthly stipend and one international round-trip air fare are all covered. The programme is placed at one designated university, Beijing Language and Culture University, and the major is Chinese Language.
What the scholarship covers
The Campus China page for the programme prints a coverage table, “Coverage and Standard (per person per academic year)”, with these rows:
| Item | Standard per person per academic year |
|---|---|
| Accommodation | 8400 CNY |
| Stipend | 36000 CNY |
| Tuition | 25000 CNY |
| Medical Insurance | 800 CNY |
| One-time International Round-trip Air Fare | Economy Class Only |
The page explains each item in turn. Tuition is entirely covered and the funds are allocated directly to the host university. Accommodation means a free university dormitory, with funds again allocated directly to the host university. Medical insurance is covered by the programme; for the insurance policy and claims the page refers readers to http://www.csc.edu.cn/studyinchina or http://www.campuschina.org and to the Comprehensive Insurance & Protection Scheme for Foreigners Staying in China.
The stipend is paid monthly by the host university to registered scholarship students. Students who register on or before the 15th of a month receive that month in full; those who register after the 15th receive half a month. Graduating students receive a further half month after the graduation date. If a registered student stays outside China for more than 15 days for personal reasons (school holidays excluded), the stipend stops for the period of absence.
The air fare covers an economy-class return trip between the student’s home country and the city of the host university. The page states that return tickets are provided only upon completion of study.
Who can apply
The programme supports “promising trade union officials with related working experience” from countries along the “Belt and Road” who study Chinese in the PRC. The eligibility section sets out five conditions:
a. Citizen of a country other than the PRC, and preferably from one of the countries along the “Belt and Road”; b. In sound physical and mental health; c. Holder of a high school certificate at least, and under the age of 45; d. Having at least one-year work experience, and preferably experience in China-related affairs; e. Not a concurrent awardee of a Chinese government scholarship.
The scholarship lasts one academic year (12 months), the instruction language is Chinese, and the designated university is Beijing Language and Culture University.
How to apply
Applications run through the CSC online system. The steps as printed on the page are:
- Prepare the application documents according to the “List of Application Documents”.
- Go to the “CSC Study in China” website at http://www.csc.edu.cn/studyinchina or http://www.campuschina.org and click “Scholarship Application for Students”.
- Choose “Type A” as the “Program Category” and enter “00009” as the “Agency Number” for the CTUSRS programme.
- Fill in the online application form and upload the supporting documents, following the steps listed on the left of the page.
- Check every part of the application, then click “Submit”.
- If you need to change something, click “Withdraw and Edit” at the top of the page and click “Submit” again when finished.
- Download the completed form by clicking “Print the Application Form”.
Two fields cause most of the difficulty. The “Program Category” and “Agency Number” are required by CGSIS (Chinese Government Scholarship Information System), and once they are entered correctly the name of the authority appears automatically; the page warns that a wrong entry will stop the application or make it unacceptable. In the “Language Proficiency and Study Plan” section, the page instructs applicants to enter: Apply As “General Scholar”; Preferred Teaching Language “Chinese”; Discipline Applying For “Literature”; Major Applying For “Chinese Language”; Preferences of Institute I “Beijing Language and Culture University”, with “None” for Preferences of Institute II and III; and Duration of Major Study “1st September of current year to 15th July of the following year”.
The page adds three practical notes. Use Firefox or Internet Explorer (11.0), because menu selection functions may not work in other browsers. Only Chinese and English are accepted in the online application. Give accurate, detailed and valid information under “Current Contact Information” in CGSIS, so that admission documents can be mailed to you.
Submitted documents are the only reference the universities use to confirm admission. Once an application is under formal review by the CSC and the universities, the applicant can no longer withdraw and edit it.
What the official page does not say
The Campus China page for this scholarship gives no academic year and no deadline date for any intake. For the current intake year and its deadline, ask the international student office of Beijing Language and Culture University or the Chinese embassy or consulate handling your case.
Related questions
Who funds the scholarship?
The All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) provides the funding, according to the Campus China programme page. The same body funds the one-time international round-trip air fare.
Which university and major does it cover?
Beijing Language and Culture University is the designated university, and the major is Chinese Language. The page instructs applicants to leave the second and third institute preferences as “None”, because the programme is undertaken at one university only.
Can I hold this and a Chinese government scholarship at the same time?
No. One of the eligibility conditions is that the applicant is not a concurrent awardee of a Chinese government scholarship.
Is the flight home included?
Yes, as one economy-class return trip between your home country and the city of the host university. The page states that return tickets are provided only upon completion of study.
Sources
- Chinese Trade Unions Silk Road Scholarship — China Scholarship Council (Campus China, campuschina.org)
- CSC Study in China — China Scholarship Council
Checked 10 October 2026.
This page is an unofficial summary of the official pages read for it; it is not legal or immigration advice, and it is not published by or affiliated with the China Scholarship Council, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions or any university. Where the official text, or the instructions of the university, embassy or exit-entry office handling your case, differs from what is written here, that official text or those instructions prevail.