The Chinese Embassy in Maputo has awarded scholarships to 12 Mozambican students specialising in Chinese at Eduardo Mondlane University, Xinhua reports.

The Chinese government-run news agency quotes Chinese ambassador to Mozambique Su Jian as saying during the ceremonial conferment of the scholarships that the Chinese government and Eduardo Mondlane University work together closely.

Mr Su said learning Chinese would broaden the horizons of the students and help them build their careers.

The scholarships encourage Mozambicans to understand China better and improve their academic performance, Xinhua quotes a member of the university staff as saying.