The China Scholarship Council (CSC) has announced that it gave the green light to 7000 applicants to study overseas with government scholarship in 2006.

The 7000 applicants have been or will be sent to prestigious overseas universities and academic organizations to study or to take part in leading scientific research.

More than 1000 of the 7000 people are postgraduates and doctors, said a CSC official, a significant increase on last year.

China needs more innovation-minded and proficient scholars who can lead domestic academic research when they return to their native land, the official added.