China plans to offer 20,000 overseas students scholarship in 2010, doubling that of 2007, said an official with the China Scholarship Council (CSC) on Monday.

The CSC Secretary-General Liu Jinghui made the above remarks here at an on-going China-ASEAN education exchange week activity, adding that overseas students who won the China government scholarships will find contributions toward both their living and tuition expenses.

Liu also predict that China will welcome 500,000 overseas students by 2020, including self-sponsored ones.

"China has paid great attention to education, and overseas students are also very important," said Liu, explaining that these students will help Chinese universities become more international.

He also disclosed that this year China increased the living subsidy for overseas students by almost half, with 1,400 yuan per month for an undergraduate, from last year's 800 yuan.

China offered monthly 1,700 yuan and 2,000 yuan grants for every graduate and Ph.D candidate this year.

China received more than 190,000 overseas students last year, almost five times the 1997 total. They came from 188 countries and regions, and 5.2 percent of them were offered Chinese government scholarships.

(Xinhua News Agency July 29, 2008)