Leverage

According to Luo from the Guangxi Education Department, the regional government has provided 30 million yuan ($4.4 million) this year to finance scholarships for students from ASEAN countries.

"We hope the scholarships can be used as leverage to attract more ASEAN students to study in Guangxi, no matter whether for the short or long term," he said, adding that the regional government is encouraging universities and businesses to establish their own scholarships aimed at ASEAN students.

After graduating from Guilin Medical University with a degree in clinical medicine this year, Nguyen Quoc Hoan, a 24-year-old from Vietnam, decided to pursue graduate studies for a master's in orthopedic surgery at his own expense.

Hoan had wanted to study medicine in China since his high school days, and to that end he studied Mandarin in Vietnam.

"China is a country with good development in a range of areas, and life here is very convenient. I've been in Guilin (in Guangxi) for six years and I love the city and the people," he said. "I hope I can stay and work in Guilin when I complete my studies, although that won't be easy."

Work training

Vocational training provided by Chinese colleges for ASEAN students is providing a strong helping hand for Chinese businesses to go global.

Liuzhou City Vocational College in Guangxi is a pioneer in this regard.

In 2015, the college signed a cooperation agreement with SAIC-GMWuling Automobile Co to jointly train talent for its base in Indonesia, a market that is dominated by Japanese automobile companies.

Indonesian students on the project spend two years studying Mandarin, Chinese culture－including calligraphy, painting and playing traditional musical instruments－and technical skills in Liuzhou. However, during the third year, they take up internships at the company's Indonesian base.

Every student who completes the course is offered a job in Indonesia as a technician or manager.

"We have recruited more than 200 Indonesian students for this project, providing strong human resources support for the company's Indonesian base," said Wu Shuqin, vice-president of Liuzhou City Vocational College.

According to Wu, the graduates will feel a stronger sense of belonging as a result of the combined school and on-site education, and will also better meet company demands.

"Their knowledge of Chinese language and culture means they will also act as China-Indonesian communication bridges," she said.

In July, the college accepted its first group of 49 foreign students from Laos under an agreement with the neighboring country's education department. The aim is to give a helping hand to boost industrialization in Laos.

Song Yinghui, a researcher in Southeast Asian studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations in Beijing, said the nature of relations between countries is exemplified by people-to-people exchanges, which are valued in bilateral and regional cooperation.

"Promoting youth exchanges between China and ASEAN members will lay a solid foundation for the future development of China-ASEAN relations because young people are a symbol of potential and the future," she said.

According to Song, young people are especially important in Southeast Asian countries that have a youthful demographic profile.

The exchanges between young Chinese and ASEAN people in universities and colleges will also spark new ideas and perceptions that may have an impact on more people and communities, and could prompt a range of possibilities for the future, she added.

Shi Ruipeng contributed to this story.