Remedial Chinese at a Chinese university: Article 18 and the training plan
If your Chinese is not good enough once you are enrolled, Order No. 42, Article 18 says the university may provide the necessary remedial conditions. The article uses "may" (可以), so it allows the university to provide them; it does not require it. The Quality Standards for the Higher Education of International Students in China (Trial) set further duties for universities on Chinese courses, guidance and tutoring.
Translation note
Order No. 42 and the Quality Standards are published in Chinese. The English wording on this page is this site's translation of those Chinese texts. Article and section numbers follow the Chinese originals.
The remedial conditions rule (Order No. 42, Article 18)
Article 18 has two sentences. The first says that the common language and script of the People's Republic of China is the basic teaching language for international students in higher education institutions. The second says that where a student's level of the national common language does not meet the needs of study, the university may provide the necessary remedial conditions.
Article 18 does not describe what the remedial conditions consist of. It also does not describe how a student's level is assessed.
What the Quality Standards add
The Quality Standards are addressed to universities. Their wording says what a university must set, arrange or do.
| Provision | What it says |
|---|---|
| Section 6.2 | The training plan for a programme for international students must include the Chinese language proficiency requirement and the compulsory requirements for China overview courses. |
| Section 6.2 | The university must arrange enough suitable Chinese courses and China overview courses to meet international students' course needs. |
| Section 9 | The university must provide student guidance suited to the development of international students. |
| Section 9.1 | During orientation, the university must help students become familiar with the training plan, teaching requirements, assessment methods and study methods. |
| Section 9.2 | The university must set up an effective tutoring system suited to how international students learn. |
| Section 9.2 | The university must promptly identify and intervene in students' academic difficulties. |
Section 6.2 uses the words "enough" and "suitable" and gives no number of courses or hours. Section 9.2 does not say what form the tutoring system must take.
Chinese in degree education (Order No. 42, Article 16)
Article 16 states that Chinese and China overview must be compulsory courses in degree education (高等学历教育). This is a separate provision from Article 18. Article 16 does not link the compulsory Chinese course to the remedial conditions in Article 18.
The entry level (Quality Standards, section 1.2)
For a programme taught in Chinese, section 1.2 says the Chinese requirement in the entry standard must reach at least level 4 of the International Chinese Proficiency Standards. Section 1.2 does not convert this level into an HSK level.
For a programme taught in a foreign language, section 1.2 says the university must state the foreign-language ability it requires in its entry standard. Section 1.2 does not give a level for this.
What the text leaves to the university
- Article 18 leaves the form and content of any remedial conditions to the university, because it uses "may".
- Section 6.2 leaves the amount of Chinese and China overview courses to the university's judgement of what is "enough" and "suitable".
- Section 1.2 requires each university to state its foreign-language requirement for programmes taught in a foreign language, and gives no level for it.
Suggestion, not a rule: before you accept an offer, ask the university in writing what support it offers for Chinese during study. Also check the training plan for your programme.
Questions people ask
Must a university provide remedial Chinese if my Chinese is weak?
No. Article 18 says the university "may" provide the necessary remedial conditions when a student's level does not meet study needs. The article does not say the university must do so.
Does a Chinese-taught programme require Chinese at level 4?
Section 1.2 says the Chinese requirement for a programme taught in Chinese must be at least level 4 of the International Chinese Proficiency Standards. The section does not give an HSK equivalent.
Sources
- Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students (Order No. 42), Ministry of Education of the PRC (moe.gov.cn)
- Quality Standards for the Higher Education of International Students in China (Trial), Ministry of Education of the PRC (moe.gov.cn)
Checked 11 October 2026
This page is an unofficial summary. It is not published by or affiliated with the Ministry of Education, the China Scholarship Council or any university, and it is not legal advice. If the official text or the current notice of the university or authority handling your case differs from this page, the official text and that notice prevail.