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China Scholarships Index

Unofficial index. Applications are made only through the official channels linked on each page.

Recommendation letters for China scholarships: who needs two and who must write them

Sources checked · Unofficial summary

The answer depends on the scholarship and the notice you apply under. The four official documents summarised here do not set one rule. Under the Chinese Government Scholarship application guide, postgraduate applicants and senior scholar applicants for academic education submit two letters from professors or associate professors. Under the ASEAN-China Young Leaders Scholarship guidebook, graduate applicants submit two letters: one from the current employer and one from a university professor.

Comparison by notice

Notice Applicants the text names Number of letters Writer, as the text states it
CGS Application Guide, item 9 Postgraduate programme applicants; senior scholar applicants for academic education Two, in Chinese or English Professors or associate professors
ASEAN-China Young Leaders guidebook, item 6 Graduate programme applicants; short-term research scholar applicants Two, in Chinese or English One from the current employer; one from a university professor
MOFCOM Scholarship-CSC Program guide, item 5 Item 5 names no category of applicant for these letters Two One from the current employer; one "from academic perspective"
CLEC ICLT 2025 guidelines, Appendix 2, section A Headed "For all applicants" One The head of the Recommending Institution
CLEC ICLT 2025, Appendix 2, B(f) Master's degree applicants Two Professors or associate professors
CLEC ICLT 2025, Appendix 2, B(e) Doctoral degree applicants Two Professors or associate professors, or experts with equivalent professional titles in relevant fields
CLEC ICLT 2025, Appendix 2, C, and section IV In-service Chinese language teachers One letter from the employer, with proof of employment The employer

Chinese Government Scholarship

The CGS application guide lists recommendation letters at item 9. An applicant for a postgraduate programme, or for academic education as a senior scholar, submits two letters in Chinese or English from professors or associate professors. The guide does not say who writes letters for bachelor's applicants, because item 9 does not cover them. The guide's page carries no publication date and no academic year.

ASEAN-China Young Leaders Scholarship

The guidebook lists two recommendation letters at item 6, written in Chinese or English. It says that applicants for the graduate programmes or the short-term research scholar programmes must submit two letters, one from the candidate's current employer and one from the candidate's university professor. The text uses the word "professor" here without mentioning associate professors.

MOFCOM Scholarship-CSC Program

The enrollment guide asks for two recommendation letters at item 5, "including one from current employer and one from academic perspective." Item 5 does not say whether the academic referee must hold the title of professor.

The offline section of the same guide is separate. It says the applicant must obtain approval and recommendation from the relevant department of the host country before applying. It also says that applications without the recommendation from the ECCO of the Chinese Embassy will not be considered. Section V of the guide does not say that these form part of the two letters in item 5.

The guide's document list is headed "written in Chinese or English."

International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2025

The 2025 guidelines are dated January 2025 and cover programmes starting between July 2025 and March 2026. Their dates have passed.

Appendix 2, section A, lists one reference letter from the head of the Recommending Institution under the heading "For all applicants." Sections B(e) and B(f) add two letters for doctoral and master's applicants. Appendix 2 lists the head's letter as a separate item from those two, but it does not say how the letters count together.

In-service Chinese language teachers, under Appendix 2 section C and section IV, provide proof of employment and a letter from the employer. Appendix 2 does not state the language of the reference letters.

What the texts do not say

  • The CGS guide does not state who writes a recommendation letter for bachelor's applicants.
  • The ASEAN-China guidebook does not state whether the university professor must hold a particular title.
  • The MOFCOM guide does not state the title of the academic referee.
  • The ICLT guidelines do not state the language of the reference letters in section B.

If your programme is not named in the notice you are reading, the text does not answer the question for that programme. Check the notice that governs your application instead.

Sources

Checked October 10, 2026.

This page is an unofficial summary. It is not published by the China Scholarship Council, Campus China, MOFCOM, CLEC or any university, and the official notice prevails if the two differ.

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