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CHINA has provided 584 scholarships to Zambian students since 1978, Chinese ambassador to Zambia Zhou Yuxiao has said.
The 584 includes the 32 scholarships offered this year, while about 400 Zambian students are currently studying in various Chinese universities.
Speaking during a farewell reception for 32 Zambian students, who are going to study in China under the Chinese Government scholarships, Mr Zhou said China also trained about 200 Zambians annually.
He said his government had helped build two rural schools in Kapiri Mposhi and Lusaka and it was constructing an agricultural technology demonstration centre and had set up a Confucius Institute at the University of Zambia.
Mr Zhou congratulated the students on winning scholarships and commended the ministries of education and foreign affairs and the Bursaries Committee of Zambia for their close cooperation with the Chinese Embassy in implementing the bilateral scholarship programme.
Addressing the students as colleagues Mr Zhou, himself a former scholarship student 30 years ago, said once the students step on the Chinese soil they became goodwill ambassadors to carry on the China-Zambia traditional friendship.
“You are cultural ambassadors to promote bilateral cultural exchanges, image ambassadors to positively portray Zambia in China and developmental ambassadors to contribute to Zambia’s social and economic progress with the knowledge and skill to be learned,” he said.
He reminded the students that they might come across some difficulties in China, such as cultural shocks, language barrier and even loneliness at the initial stage of their stay in the Far East country.
Mr Zhou encouraged the students to be strong-willed and open-minded and overcome all obstacles to achieve academic excellence during their studies in China.
Speaking at the same function, Education Deputy Minister Nevelyn Wilombe thanked the Chinese government and its people for their consistent support to Zambia’s efforts in education.
He also urged the students to cherish the opportunity and work hard in China, so that they return to Zambia and make contributions to the social and economic development of their mother land.
