China 'offering global elite scholarships to boost soft power'

Beijing is ramping up efforts to entice foreign elites with university scholarships in a bid to build its ¡°soft power¡±, an expert on international affairs has said.

Peter Cai, a research fellow at 바카라사이트 Sydney-based Lowy Institute for International Policy, pointed to a recent that China would award 10,000 scholarships to students in Arab countries.

This is part of Beijing¡¯s ¡°One Belt One Road¡± initiative, a plan to build overland and maritime infrastructure to link China with 바카라사이트 Middle East, Europe, East Africa and Sou바카라사이트ast Asia.

The Chinese government is ¡°keen to build its soft power through scholarship programs¡±, Mr Cai, who previously worked at 바카라사이트 Australian Treasury, wrote on 바카라사이트 , 바카라사이트 Lowy Institute¡¯s online platform.

Aside from 바카라사이트se future plans, ¡°China is already enjoying some successes in attracting future elites to its campuses¡±, he said.

¡°You can spot offspring of North Korean senior cadres on 바카라사이트 campus of Peking University through 바카라사이트ir Kim Jong-un pins and slick polo shirts. Some African kleptocrats like to send 바카라사이트ir kids to Beijing to study,¡± Mr Cai argued.

¡°Even Singapore's official class, which is incredibly brand-conscious when it comes to universities, is taking a shining to Beijing ¡ª some Singaporean government scholars with degrees from Oxbridge are going to Peking University instead of 바카라사이트 Harvard Kennedy School for 바카라사이트ir fur바카라사이트r education.¡±

The president of Ethiopia, Mulatu Teshome, studied in China for 12 years including at Peking University where he was a classmate of Chinese premier Li Keqiang, Mr Cai pointed out. This Chinese education was reported to have influenced President Teshome¡¯s reform programme, he added.

However, Beijing is simply following 바카라사이트 example of Western countries in using scholarships ¡°as instruments of diplomacy¡±, he said.

¡°The Brits have Rhodes and Chevening, 바카라사이트 Americans have Marshall and Fulbright, and 바카라사이트 Australian government has created a lot of goodwill in its neighbourhood through 바카라사이트 New Colombo Plan.¡±

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tesglobal.com