Zahid said he was informed of this offer by his Chinese counterpart this morning.

He said the scholarships would be given to universities that were part of the Malaysian Technical University Network (MTUN).

MTUN comprises Universiti Malaysia Pahang Sultan Abdullah, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn, Universiti Malaysia Perlis and Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM).

“The (TVET) courses in China will enhance their learning. These 1,000 spots will be offered as soon as possible,” Zahid said when officiating the TVET Place and Train UTeM@KPTM at UTeM, Melaka.

He requested Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) chairman Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki to fund the flight tickets for the selected students as the cost would not be borne by Beijing.

In November, Zahid announced an agreement between the two countries to collaborate in establishing a TVET institution in Malaysia called the Malaysia-China Institute (MCI).

MCI will focus on new areas such as electric vehicles and artificial intelligence and will be placed under the supervision of Mara.