The China International Talent Exchange Foundation established CEP in 2024 to support foreign young people taking part in visits, internships and short-term work in China. Participants work with a mainland-China host institution, which applies to CITEF; there is no central individual application route in the published 2026 call.
The 2026 call covered host projects carried out from April through December and is now closed. It aimed to deepen understanding and cooperation between young people in China and other countries.
Benefits & funding
- After an approved project is completed and accepted, CITEF pays the host a per-person subsidy mainly for one international round-trip and travel insurance covering the stay in China.
- Visit-and-exchange projects receive RMB 10,000 per participant before tax for up to 30 days.
- Internships receive RMB 15,000 per participant before tax for up to 30 days or RMB 20,000 for 31–60 days.
- Short-term work receives RMB 15,000 per participant before tax for up to 30 days, RMB 20,000 for 31–60 days or RMB 25,000 for 61–90 days.
- Internship and short-term-work hosts must sign a work agreement with each participant and provide compensation on the agreed terms.
Eligibility
- Participants must not hold Chinese nationality and must be aged 18–35; for the 2026 cycle, eligible birth dates were April 1, 1991 through April 1, 2008, inclusive.
- Applicants must be studying at a higher-education, vocational or technical institution outside China, or have graduated from one within the previous three years with a relevant qualification.
- Participants need good communication ability, physical and mental fitness, no criminal record and a commitment to obey Chinese law during the stay.
- Visit-and-exchange participants join a group for up to 30 days; interns must be current students and may stay up to 60 days; short-term workers must be graduates and may stay up to 90 days in their study or research field.
- A person who has previously received CEP funding cannot receive it again.
- The formal applicant is an eligible mainland-China university, research institute, enterprise or public institution that has matched with a foreign partner or participant and can provide the required support.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
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Education required
Bachelor Enrolled · Bachelor · Master Enrolled · Master · PhD Enrolled · PhD
Age requirement
18–35 yrs
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Application process
- 1A prospective participant or overseas partner connects directly with an eligible host in mainland China and they agree on the project type, field and theme.
- 2The host prepares the project materials; internship and short-term-work applications require a named participant and a signed intent-to-receive agreement.
- 3The host’s CEP office registers one institutional account, reviews project-leader submissions and files the stamped materials through CITEF’s fund-project platform.
- 4CITEF conducts a formal compliance review and then an expert review, notifying funded hosts through the platform.
- 5A funded host signs the grant agreement, assists participants with entry and work-permit procedures, completes the project and submits its final report for reimbursement.
Program timeline
March 18, 2026
CITEF published the 2026 call.
April 1, 2026
The eligible 2026 project-execution window began.
Host-institution application deadline.
April 19, 2026
December 31, 2026
The eligible 2026 project-execution window ends.