Volume 12 - Issue 67
/ July 2023
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.34069/AI/2023.67.07.29
How to Cite:
Yu, Z. (2023). Research on the brand image of "study in China" in the new era of overseas chinese newspapers and periodicals: a
case study of Sin Chew daily in Malaysia. Amazonia Investiga, 12(67), 327-336. https://doi.org/10.34069/AI/2023.67.07.29
Research on the brand image of "study in China" in the new era of
overseas chinese newspapers and periodicals: a case study of Sin Chew
daily in Malaysia
海外华文报刊新时代“留学中国”品牌形象研究——以马来西亚《星洲日报》为例
Received: May 6, 2023 Accepted: July 1, 2023
Written by:
Zhou Yu1
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4436-7803
Abstract
This study focuses on Malaysia's Sin Chew Daily
newspaper as its research subject. By searching the
electronic resource library of the Sin Chew Daily's
headquarters, the study obtained relevant reports
and comments on "Study in China" from 2013 to
the present. The study employed a combination of
quantitative and qualitative methods, including data
collection, topic classification, text interpretation,
and comprehensive analysis to deeply analyze the
focus of the Malaysian Chinese society (referred to
as "Chinese society") on "Study in China" and the
information it implies. The research found that the
attitude of the Malaysian Chinese society towards
"Study in China" is mostly positive. "Study in
China" is seen as a bright and promising
opportunity, and the "Study in China" brand is
viewed as positive and reliable. Based on these
findings, the study puts forward suggestions for
improving the "Study in China" brand with the aim
of promoting its connotative development and
sustainable growth.
Keywords: Malaysia, New Era, Study in China,
Sin Chew Daily
Introduction
This year marks the 10th anniversary of China's
“Belt and Road” Initiative. Since its inception,
international exchanges, and cooperation in the
educational field between China and other
countries or regions along the routes have
become increasingly frequent and intensive, the
number of people that are studying in China
continues to increase. According to statistics
(Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic
of China, 2019), the top 15 source countries of
“Study in China” in 2018 were South Korea,
1
School of International Education, Zhejiang Yuexiu University, Shaoxing, Zhejiang; Institute of International Education, New Era
University College, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Thailand, Pakistan, India, the United States,
Russia, Indonesia, Laos, Japan, Kazakhstan,
Vietnam, Bangladesh, France, Mongolia, and
Malaysia. Among them, four are members of
ASEAN countries, and ASEAN countries are
important source countries of “Study in China”,
with Malaysia being one of them.
Malaysia is the first ASEAN country to establish
diplomatic relations with China, and also the first
country along the route to respond to the "Belt
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and Road " initiative. There are three main ethnic
groups in Malaysia: Malay, Chinese and Indian,
and the proportion of Chinese is 23%. Therefore,
Malaysia is the country with the most complete
Chinese language education outside the Chinese
mainland and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.
However, due to some educational policies of the
Malaysian government, local Chinese are
constrained by a "Quota System" (Guozhong,
2002: 22-24) in terms of enrollment (admission
to the universities is not entirely based on the
candidate's grades, but rather on the basis of
specific ethnic priorities and then the merits,
Malays have a huge advantage). In addition,
some Chinese who choose to attend independent
secondary schools (not subsidized by the
government, using Mandarin as the medium) are
not recognized as diplomas upon graduation.
Under multiple factors, some local Chinese can
only choose to study overseas.
In 2016, the General Office of the Central
Committee of the Communist Party of China and
the General Office of the State Council issued the
"Several Opinions on Opening up Education to
the Outside World in the New Era"(Ministry of
Education of the People’s Republic of China,
2016), which clearly stated that quality and
efficiency should be the main focus, and it was
required to optimize the country of origin and
professional layout of international students
studying in China, increase the construction of
brand majors and brand courses, build a
socialized and professional service system for
studying in China, and create the "Study in
China" brand. This marks a new stage in the
development of Chinese education for studying
abroad in China, which is characterized by both
quality and connotation development.
Based on the above, this study intends to explore
the historical changes of Malaysian Chinese
community's "Study in China" in the past 10
years and the brand image of "Study in China"
from the perspectives of Malaysian Chinese.
Literature Review
Research on the image of China in overseas
newspapers and periodicals
The analysis and study of China's image through
overseas newspapers and periodicals will help us
understand China's overseas image and external
propaganda weaknesses, so as to put forward
relevant suggestions and countermeasures.
Therefore, this field has always been an
important place for scholars to work hard.
According to the incomplete statistics from the
author, the current research includes research on
China's national image from different overseas
media perspectives, such as the mainstream
English-language newspapers in India, Chinese
newspapers in Germany and Indonesia, “The
China Press” in the United States, the British
edition of the “Nouvelles D'Europe”, “Eleven
Media” in Myanmar, “Le Monde” in France,
“Lianhe Zaobao” in Singapore, Chinese media in
Africa, Japan, and Malaysia. Based on
quantitative and qualitative research methods,
combined with the theories and practices of
history, journalism, communication, statistics,
international relations and other disciplines,
these studies interpret China's national image in
overseas media, and put forward strategies and
suggestions for China's external image
construction. (Honggang, 2013: 34-35)
Research on brand image of "Study in China"
At present, there is relatively little research on the
brand image of "Study Abroad in China", mainly
focusing on how to build, develop in a
connotative manner, and strengthen the brand.
Cui Bo (Bo, 2022: 44-47) comprehensively and
dynamically analyzed the historical process and
development trend of "Study in China" with a
historical development perspective, which
emphasized that China's study abroad industry
has undergone an important transformation from
"nothing to something, from small to large, from
point to surface" and then "from emphasizing
expansion of scale to focusing on improving
quality and efficiency". International students
studying in China are witnesses to China's
development, and after gaining a deeper
understanding of the real China, they will
become the "civilian diplomats" who tell the
story of China well. Therefore, to satisfy the
needs of the times, the "Study in China" in the
new era should focus on the promotion of the
study in China activities in countries or regions
along the "the Belt and Road", pay attention to
the trend of education informatization, and
accelerate the digital construction of the "Study
in China" management front as well as the
teaching front. Owing to some controversial
events in recent years regarding "Study in
China", Qu Qi (Qi, 2020: 54-59) proposed that
the assimilation management of Chinese and
foreign students should be strengthened, the
application qualifications of international
students should be strictly enforced. In the
context of promoting the opening up of education
to the outside world in the new era, create key
and high-quality projects for studying in China,
take multiple measures to promote the
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connotative development of studying in China
and strengthen the brand of "Study in China".
Research on "Sin Chew Daily" and China's
image
Sin Chew Daily，as one of the "three treasures"
of the Chinese Community of Malaysia (Hua
Tuan, Hua Pao, Hua Jiao), is the largest local
Chinese newspaper in Malaysia. It has its own
historical mission and responsibility in
promoting Chinese language education and
Chinese education (Weibu, 2008: 7-9). As an
influential newspaper within the overseas
Chinese media, it is an important way for many
scholars to study China's overseas image. From
the perspective of "Sin Chew Daily and China",
some scholars analyzed the reports of certain
policies of China (such as the "the Belt and Road
" Initiative) in Sin Chew Daily, so as to obtain the
overseas response to the policies. Luo Li (Li,
2017: 91-96) concluded that the overwhelming
supportive responses from the Chinese
community in Malaysia towards China's "the
Belt and Road" initiative based on the relevant
reports on "the Belt and Road" in the Sin Chew
Daily from 2015 to 2017. The Chinese
community generally believed that the "the Belt
and Road" was an effective way of regional
cooperation and a win-win path of cooperation to
promote common development and achieve
common prosperity.
Some scholars analyze the characteristics of
foreign reporting during a certain period of time,
in order to draw the key points of attention from
overseas society towards China. For instance,
Weng Qian (Qian, 2010: 46-48) utilized the
framework theory and content analysis method to
study the reporting framework of the "Beast
Head Incident", and ultimately concluded that
"Sin Chew Daily" has generally constructed a
relatively objective and neutral news perspective,
with the "human interest framework" being its
main framework for reporting on China. Guan
Huiqi (Huiqi, 2019: 43-45) took the 2018 report
on Sin Chew Daily related to China as the
research object, which confirmed that Sin Chew
Daily has a high level of attention to China with
relevant reports from Beijing, Hong Kong, and
Taiwan being the main focus. The report portrays
both positive and negative images of China.
Based on the above mentioned, there is a lack of
research on the brand image of "Study in China"
from the perspective of others in overseas
Chinese newspapers and magazines, which
provides space for this study. Therefore, this
study aims to analyze the changing trends and
brand image of "Study in China" in Malaysian
Chinese community based on the reports on
"Study in China" in Sin Chew Daily from 2013
to present.
Methodology
This research takes the E-resources of Sin Chew
Daily in Malaysia as the research platform, and,
by adopting content analysis, text analysis and
case analysis as the main research methods,
conducts an overall research according to the
research ideas of data collection, issue
classification and text interpretation.
In terms of sample selection, by searching
relevant reports from November 2013 to March
31, 2023 with the keyword "Study in China", and
then excluding homogenized news and repetitive
news, a total of 569 reports about "studying in
China" were obtained. In terms of reporting
types, related news is divided into two
categories: news and commentary, with a total of
492 news articles and 77 news comments. In
terms of reporting tendency, the general tendency
of related reports was divided into positive,
negative and neutral (no obvious tendency was
found). Positive reports are mainly objective, the
full text of which holds a praise, support and
affirmation attitude. The report with negative
tendency mainly reveals, satirizes and negates.
The neutral reporting means that the full text has
no obvious expectations and attitudes, but holds
a neutral spectator attitude.
Based on the data analysis, the author found that
the number of reports on "studying in China" in
this newspaper has remained at about 50 per year
since 2013. Perhaps due to the closeness of
language and culture, the reports on "studying in
China" are far more than those on studying in
other countries (see Figure 1). In the contents of
the reports, they tend to report on the topics such
as exchanges between Chinese and Malaysian
universities, information exchanges in China and
comments on the prospects of staying in China.
Among the 569 news reports, only 12 reported
negative information due to China's "zero
clearance policy" during the epidemic period,
which caused students to be unable to study in
China, believing that China's "epidemic
prevention changes" and the situation of online
courses affected students' learning career. If
news is the objective exposition of general facts,
then commentary is highly subjective. In the 77
news comments, most Malaysian government
officials and scholars gave full affirmation to
studying in China, with 52 positive comments,
accounting for 66% of the total comments.
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Study aboard in Singapore
Study aboard in Japan
Study aboard in Australia
Study aboard in the UK
Study aboard in US &
Canada
Study aboard in China
Figure 1. Distribution of study abroad reports by country (unit: articles) in Sin Chew Daily.
Results and Discussion
By categorizing the theme, interpreting the text,
and comprehensively analyzing the relevant
reports and comments on "Study in China" in Sin
Chew Daily, it was found that its reporting
contents mainly focus on the following aspects:
Information and content reports on various
educational exhibitions, lectures, and
scholarship applications of “Study in China”
Sin Chew Daily timely predicts the development
of education exhibitions related to "Study in
China" and provides follow-up reports on the
exhibition situation. For example, the "China
Higher Education Exhibition" in Malaysia,
which has a long history, has been organized by
the United Chinese School Committees'
Association of Malaysia since 2003, and held
annually in spring at Chinese high schools in
Malaysia alternatively with approximately 30 to
40 Chinese universities participating each year;
the Association of Graduates from Universities
and Colleges of China, Malaysia has been
organizing the "Higher Education Exhibition for
Studying in China" since 2015, as well as the
subsequent "Bridge for Studying in China" China
Higher Education Exhibition; the first "HSK
China Study and Employment Exhibition" was
jointly organized by the Han Culture Centre
Malaysia and Chinese Testing International in
2022; the first China-Malaysia Vocational
Education Exhibition was hosted by Tang
Chinese Education in 2022. These reports
provide timely and rich information for students
and the public about Chinese and further
education, expanding the channels for further
education. In addition, there are also information
and reports on online promotion conferences of
Chinese universities organized by various
institutions during the epidemic period, or
national university promotion conferences
organized by a certain province in China, such as
the "Heilongjiang Province Higher Education
International Promotion Conference" organized
by the Consulate General of the PRC in Penang
and hosted by Heilongjiang University of
Chinese Medicine on December 8, 2021.
Representatives from 13 universities in
Heilongjiang introduced the characteristics,
rewards, and other related information of each
university online to students from multiple
independent and national high schools in North
Malaysia. More importantly, it is quite warm that
the newspaper will also report on some "New
Student Exchange and Explanation Meetings",
"Welcome Tea Party" etc., arranged by relevant
Malaysian institutions.
In terms of scholarships, China has provided
various types of scholarships to students from
ASEAN countries, including Malaysia - Chinese
government scholarships, Confucius Institute
scholarships, Chinese embassy scholarships in
China, ASEAN students studying in China
scholarships, provincial government
scholarships, vocational education scholarships,
Chinese government scholarships on the Silk
Road, Chinese vocational education
scholarships, and scholarships to multiple
universities in China, the "Self-Strengthening
Scholarships" of the Asia Pacific Tsinghua CEO
Chambers of Commerce and Industry. These
scholarships are led by different institutions in
Malaysia to assist in registration and application.
Therefore, the Sin Chew Daily will also provide
timely coverage.
From the above, it can be seen that Malaysia has
a rich variety of educational exhibitions and
lectures on "studying in China", which brings
relevant information to Malaysian students and
provides them with more possibilities for their
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further study. At the same time, the scholarships
provided by the Chinese government also
provide more opportunities for some students.
Report on various training plans and project
courses for 'Study in China'
Sin Chew Daily also timely reports on various
talent development programs, such as the "Boya
Seedling Talent Development Program"
promoted by the Peking University Alumni
Association of Malaysia, which benefits
independent Chinese high school students; the "
Study in China with Scholarships Programs" is
jointly promoted by the Malaysian Chinese
Cultural Society, NCB Education and the China-
ASEAN RCEP General Chamber of Commerce,
which has been open to Malaysian students with
SPM, STPM, and UEC diplomas since 2016. In
addition, there are the "Malaysian Chinese
Children's Study in China Guarantee Program"
jointly promoted by the Malaysian Chinese
Education Advisory Committee and the
Association of Graduates from Universities and
Colleges of China, the "China Technical and
Vocational College Study Abroad Program"
promoted by the Merdeka University Berhad,
and the "Cultivating Talent Program" (2015)
jointly organized by the Association of
Graduates from Universities and Colleges of
China and Chinese Language and Culture
Education Foundation of China.
Sin Chew Daily also reports on timely China-
Malaysian cooperative courses and projects. For
example, on October 29, 2020, it reported that
“The Malaysia Belt and Road Promotion
Association, South China University of
Technology, and Beijing Institute of Technology
jointly organized the International Foundation
Program (IFP) for Chinese universities,
providing the most affordable study abroad
opportunities for Malaysian students with SPM
diplomas”. On August 2, 2021, it reported that
Malaysia Oneworld Hanxin College and
Zhejiang Technical Institute of Economics
launched a "Cross-border E-commerce"
specialist dual-course program, introducing
Chinese e-commerce theories, examples and
experiences through academic education and
vocational training to cultivate top talents in the
industry. In addition, on June 30, 2022, it
reported on the grand ceremony of the cloud
signing and unveiling of the Malaysia
International College jointly built by Tianjin
Maritime College, Merdeka University Berhad
and Malaysia Oneworld Hanxin College."
From the above, it is not difficult to see that
various associations and alumni associations in
Malaysia are continuously promoting various
projects of "studying in China". For example,
Peking University Malaysia Alumni Association,
Malaysia Overseas Chinese Students
Association, Malaysia Nanjing University
Alumni Association, etc. Because Chinese
education or Chinese education is not the
mainstream work of the government education
department in Malaysia, it is planned by the
Chinese community itself. Therefore, in
Malaysia, the role of alumni associations is more
important. These institutions not only undertake
the work of connecting with relevant Chinese
universities, but also act as the "big parents" of
Malaysian students going to China, effectively
promoting the process of Malaysian students
"studying in China" (Junfang, 2021: 45-47).
Reports on students studying in China
Sin Chew Daily places close attention to the
reports on students studying in China and
contacts students through various means to
interview their life experiences while studying in
China. Apart from that, during the epidemic, Sin
Chew Daily paid a lot of attention to students
who were unable to return to China for offline
education due to the epidemic. On the one hand,
it reported on the government and institutions'
appeals to China for promoting the return of
Malaysian students to China for classes. On the
other hand, it interviewed relevant students and
told their stories of "online teaching". It can be
concluded that as the largest local Chinese
newspaper, it cares about people's livelihood and
education. However, between the lines, other
information and voices can also be interpreted. In
the related reports, some students mentioned that
"in the case of simultaneous online and offline
teaching, overseas students who need to take
classes online have become neglected minorities
and helpless 'abandoned babies'." Some students
said that they had tried to negotiate with the
school whether they could take the online courses
that were originally required to be taken offline
or replace them with other courses for credits, but
it was of no use. “Every time when I wait for an
email reply, it takes about one or two days, and
the answer is always to let me find other
departments." Some students said that "in most
cases where classes are presented to us in the
form of recordings of classes, there is no system
to limit when we must open those uploaded
recording of classes, nor is there a visible and
tangible peer group to create an uplifting
environment for us. Many resources and
materials are not as easily available as local
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students. During the course selection, in order to
avoid troublesome, we also need to observe the
assessment methods and weigh them carefully
other than our own preferences and abilities. We
will confirm the online course situation in a
careful manner with each teacher we have never
met before and weigh every word and sentence
again and again." Between the lines and between
words, we can understand the dissatisfaction and
helplessness of some students when it comes to
"online learning".
Above-mentioned aside, Sin Chew Daily also
invited students who have studied or who are
studying recently at the Peking University to
share their experiences of studying in China and
Beijing, and set up a special column "Yan Yuan
Chun Qiu" from December 11, 2019 to October
8, 2022. These students shared with readers from
their own perspectives about the course teaching,
teacher style, campus environment, interesting
learning stories, and challenges of online classes
at the Peking University. They also shared their
perspectives on how Beijing's subway and
China's subway have impacted the society that is
closely connected with them, giving a new
ecology to a place. Some students also shared the
current situation of China's medical care and film
industry based on their professional studies and
internship experiences, as well as analyzed
current political issues based on their
professional backgrounds. The establishment of
this column allows more Malaysians to learn
about Chinese universities and contemporary
China through the narration of their fellow
countrymen.
Telling the story of China from the perspective of
international students can bring a greater sense of
credibility and authenticity. The "Yanyuan
Chunqiu" column is a natural and effective way
to tell the story of contemporary China to the
people of Malaysia from the perspective of
Malaysian students studying in China. Lin
Weixian, a 19th-grade undergraduate student at
the School of Physics at Peking University,
mentioned in "Identity Recognition and
Discussions on China" that "In the English-
speaking world, many high-quality international
reports can be read in newspapers, but there are
often deviations when it comes to China... If you
want to have a complete world view, it is
necessary to correctly understand China." Why
not use the voices of international students to tell
the real story of China and eliminate prejudices
against China in other countries? Nowadays, we
can see more and more government departments
and universities using various social media to tell
the story of China to the world through rich and
colorful forms (such as short videos and text) and
let international students speak out for China.
This should be the sincerest expression of China's
story in the new era. By sharing their experiences
and perspectives, international students can
provide a unique and valuable perspective on life
in China, helping to bridge cultural gaps and
promote understanding between nations.
Reports on policies related to students
studying in China
Sin Chew Daily emphasizes on China's policies
for international students. For example, the
policy issue of whether international students in
China are allowed to work part-time. In August
and September 2017, the newspaper reported on
the interpretation of Order No. 42 by the
Association of Graduates from Universities and
Colleges of China, Malaysia, mentioning the
changes in the Chinese government's treatment
towards international students working part-time
in China, from a complete ban to a "lifting of the
ban". International students can participate in
work-study activities during their studies in
China, but are not allowed to work, do business
or engage in other business activities. They can
participate in social practice activities to improve
their learning and living conditions, enhance
their overall quality and support students from
economically disadvantaged families. In
addition, the newspaper also pays special
attention to the interpretation of China's
"vocational education" policy, interpreting
China's "National Vocational Education Reform
Implementation Plan" and introducing the
characteristics of China's vocational education
and the scope of vocational education. It believes
that the reason for China's advanced technology
is its solid and hard technology, and the strong
backing of the entire technology industry is its
"vocational education", which continuously
provides timely and appropriate talents for
various emerging industries. As Liu Weiyi, the
director of Merdeka University Berhad said:
"China has built the world's largest vocational
education system, deepening the integration of
industry and education, training 10 million high-
quality skilled talents every year, providing
strong human support for social and economic
development.
Through relevant reports, it is discovered that the
Malaysian Chinese community pays more
attention to the internship and employment
policies of study abroad countries because this
concerns the direction and future of students after
graduation. Wang Huiyao (Huiyao, 2022: 30-59)
mentioned that "International students are also a
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powerful driving force for innovation and
entrepreneurship development in a country or
region. Among US startups with a market value
of $1 billion, 1/4 of the founders are international
students. For example, Elon Musk was once an
international student from Pretoria, South Africa.
He studied in the United States, interned, and
started a business in Silicon Valley, and became
the richest person in the world in 2021. In
Canada, one out of every four small and medium-
sized enterprises is owned or operated by
immigrants or former international students."
Therefore, taking the example of internships and
entrepreneurship for international students
coming to China, more internship opportunities
and employment channels should be provided for
international students who study in China in
order to increase the attractiveness of "Study in
China", and improve the country's innovation
and entrepreneurship capabilities. Moreover, the
development of vocational education in China is
deeply in line with the current situation in
Malaysia, and the two countries can engage in
more cooperation and exchanges in this field.
"Study in China": navigation and reviews
“Study in China” has become a hot topic and
trend in the Malaysian education circle.
Therefore, Sin Chew Daily will open some
columns to invite social figures to analyze,
comment and navigate this phenomenon. For
example, in Chen Zhicheng's (head of the
Malaysian Study in China Center) commentary
"Reflect on the Rapid Internationalization Policy
of Chinese Universities" on August 4, 2019, he
analyzed that China has recruited foreign
students in a large amount under the "Belt and
Road" policy. Nevertheless, due to the lack of
experience and standards in recruiting
international students, the rapid
internationalization of international student
policies has led to some problems and provoked
dissatisfaction among the people. The Chinese
government then made timely adjustments and
implemented the "Convergence Management of
Chinese and Foreign Students" policy and strictly
reviewed the quality of international students. He
believed that "high-quality academic education
level in universities, coupled with advantageous
high-tech development and employment
guarantee after graduation" make Malaysian
students studying in China have a bright future
and also bring a turning point for Malaysian
Chinese education. Another commentary
published on November 16, 2016, "A Good Time
to Study in China" argues that China today is not
the old one about 20 years ago. China today is
rising that has opened its doors to international
students. In addition, there are many educational
navigation or commentaries involving China's
"Belt and Road" policy and the heat of studying
in China, China's vocational education and bright
employment prospects.
In general, Sin Chew Daily plays a diverse role
in Chinese education in Malaysia. It is not only
an information platform that provides various
educational information for Chinese people, but
also a "voice" platform that speaks out for
Chinese education and Chinese people's
educational issues. It is also a navigation
platform that provides rational advice and
thinking from different perspectives for parents
and students, thus providing detailed and reliable
references and guidance for the education and
employment of Malaysian Chinese people.
Conclusions
Based on the classification of the focus of the
'Study in China' reports and the interpretation of
the relevant report contents, the following
conclusions can be drawn:
The number of Malaysians studying in China
is increasing, and 'Study in China' has broken
through the 'myth'
Through the analysis of multiple reports and
commentaries, the positive attitude and outlook
of the Malaysian Chinese community towards
'Study in China' is obvious. Everyone
unanimously sees a bright future of 'Study in
China', believing that it is not only beneficial to
the development of students, but also to the
development of Malaysia. Therefore, in recent
years, the number of Malaysians studying in
China has been increasing as followings.
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Figure 2. Number of Malaysian students "Study in China" (unit: person)
As seen from the above figure, the number of
Malaysians studying in China has increased from
2,800 in 2009 to 9,500 in 2019, and according to
the annual 'Statistics on International Students in
China' by the Chinese Ministry of Education, the
number of Malaysians studying in China is
always among the top 15. Nowadays,
international students have become a backbone
force in China-Malaysian friendship and social
development, reaching the highest level in
history in terms of cultural or student exchange.
More importantly, from the titles of many news
articles and comments, it is obvious that the
Chinese community in Malaysia highly
recommends "Study in China" (see Table 1).
Table 1.
Reports and comments on "Study in China" of Malaysia from Sin Chew Daily.
No.
News/Comment Title
Time
1
Studying in China to Increase Employment Opportunities
2022.12.27
2
More excellent universities in China, and the increasing number of independent middle
school students studying in China
2022.12.25
3
Technical Vocational Chapter of Studying in China Guide: Many choices for Technical and
vocational students
2021.01.26
4
Abundant Achievements and Promising Prospects for Education Cooperation between China
and Malaysia
2019.01.13
5
The Myth of Studying in China - China's education has made great progress with the rapid
economic development
2018.12.25
6
The construction of the Belt and Road Initiative is thirsty for talents, and the prospect of
studying in China is bright
2017.12.24
7
The number of students studying in China has grown by 150%. Liu Limin: Years of hard
work and achievements
2017.04.23
8
Good Time to Study in China
2016.11.16
9
Large Space for Education Cooperation between Malaysia and China
2015.01.06
10
Studying in China has become a new trend of globalization
2014.09.02
It is worth noting that on December 25, 2018, Sin
Chew Daily opened a special edition to discuss
the 'Myth of Studying in China'. The commentary
analyzed the current situation of Malaysians
studying in China and summarized the
achievements made by China since its reform and
opening up in 1978. It is believed that due to the
stereotypes left over from the past, many Chinese
Malaysians generally have the myth that 'Chinese
universities are backward or closed', resulting in
many Malaysian students missing the train to
study at Chinese universities. However, the
increase in the number of Malaysian students
studying in China has proven that the Malaysian
Chinese community has broken through the
barriers of such stereotypes. As a Malaysian
educator said, "Times have changed, and we
even have students studying in China! How
unimaginable!”
Behind the positive brand image of "Study in
China" is China's growing comprehensive
national strength
The good situation of Malaysians studying in
China is not only due to the deepening of friendly
relations between China and Malaysia, but also
owing to the continuous strengthening of China's
comprehensive national strength. For example, in
a report on December 25, 2022, the CEO of the
Volume 12 - Issue 67
/ July 2023
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http:// www.amazoniainvestiga.info ISSN 2322- 6307
United Chinese School Committees' Association
of Malaysia Liang Shengyi said: "In recent years,
more and more Chinese universities have been
included in the top 200 of the Times Higher
Education and QS World University Rankings,
attracting the attention of independent Chinese
high school parents and graduates. Meanwhile,
the rise of China's film and television industry
has also given students a better understanding
and longing for China." In a report on April 24,
2021, Chen Zhengjin, chairman of the Merdeka
University Berhad, said: "In recent years,
domestic students have shown an increasing
interest in studying in China, especially as China
leads the world in areas such as comprehensive
national strength, economic development,
manufacturing, technological innovation and
craftsmanship, attracting Malaysian students to
study in China." There are countless such reports.
In addition, the establishment of offices and
branches by Chinese-funded enterprises in
Malaysia has also given Malaysian students and
parents a sense of promising employment
opportunities. Therefore, the comprehensive
national strength brought by China's economic
development, education improvement,
technological progress and cultural revitalization
has attracted Malaysian students.
China is a responsible big country
From the relevant reports, it is obvious that China
provides diversified channels for Malaysian
students to further their studies, from rich
scholarships to various training programs. China
has truly helped Malaysian students to study in
China and change their lives. As Liang Shengyi
said in an interview with Lian Shanen of Sin
Chew Daily on December 25, 2022: "This is
mainly because after the Chinese government
proposed the 'Belt and Road' initiative, it
provided many generous scholarships for
outstanding international students from countries
along the route. Chinese universities also have
many scholarship application opportunities, such
as provincial and municipal government
scholarships and university scholarships. Some
universities even cooperate directly with
individual independent Chinese high schools to
provide specific continuation quotas to recruit
outstanding graduates." The fourth item of the
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs), "Quality Education," requires in its sub-
item "4b": "By 2020, the world will continue to
expand opportunities for higher education
scholarships for students from developing
countries - especially underdeveloped regions,
island countries, and African countries - so that
they can study vocational education, information
and communication technology, science and
engineering technology in developed countries or
other developing countries."(Sohu, 2022)
China's "Belt and Road" policy benefits
neighboring countries by funding international
students from developing countries to receive
higher education. This is also an important way
for our country to assume international
responsibilities, participate in global governance
and build a community of shared future for
mankind.
There is a long way to go to enhance the brand
of "studying abroad in China"
Although the pandemic has passed, the
experience of "online learning" during that time
has become an unforgettable memory for some
international students. Reports from Sin Chew
Daily, a Malaysian Chinese newspaper, present
the confusion and helplessness of Malaysian
students studying in China during those
challenging days. Xue Tian’ai (Tian’ai, 2020:
32), who studied in a university of China,
mentioned that "there is no system to limit when
we must open those already uploaded recorded
classes, nor do we have visible and tangible peers
to create an upward environment for us". We
must reflect on whether we have paid sufficient
attention to the psychological and adaptive
conditions of students' online learning while
focusing on creating rich and diverse online
courses. Have we provided detailed explanations
for relevant online course exercises and
assessments? Have we taken steps to alleviate
students' anxiety about graduation? These
students who provided feedback all attend
institutions ranked at the top in China. If even
these institutions have not created a well-
organized environment for students' online
learning, what about other schools? Although the
pandemic has passed, in the face of special
situations that may arise from time to time and
the trend of educational informatization, we need
to seriously consider how to improve
international students' sense of participation in
classes, activity experience, cultural adaptation,
institutional clarity, and smooth interpretation
through multiple channels. To improve the
satisfaction of international students, universities
must do a good job in humanistic care,
institutional construction, and the improvement
of informatization levels in subtle ways(Yajun,
2021: 89-90).It is important to focus on the
details and provide support to international
students in all aspects of their academic and
personal lives.
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Malaysian Chinese and Chinese people share the
same roots and origins. Compared to other
countries, their practices in promoting the
process of 'Study in China' are worth learning
from and commendable. At the same time, their
voices also need to be listened to and reflected
upon. Through the interpretation of 569 reports
on "Study in China" from October 2013 to March
31, 2023 in the Malaysian Chinese newspaper
Sin Chew Daily, the newspaper focused on
multiple aspects such as information reporting on
"Study in China", policy interpretation of "Study
in China", and reflective commentary on "Study
in China". From these reports, a positive attitude
and positive brand image of "Study in China"
among the Malaysian Chinese society can be
interpreted. In addition, the improvement of the
"Study in China" brand not only requires the
perfection of its connotation but also needs to be
examined, reflected upon, and improved from the
perspective of others. This study provides
suggestions and strategies for improving the
"Study in China" brand with the aim of
promoting its long-term construction and
development.
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