BEIJING - The Dutch government and universities welcome qualified Chinese students to study in the Netherlands and are willing to financially support their studies, a leading Dutch education official said here Friday.

"We want to spread the message that (the) Dutch government is welcoming talented Chinese students to study in Holland and even to work in Holland after graduation," Charles Hoedt, director of Nuffic Neso China, the Netherlands' official education support office in Beijing, said.

He made the remarks in an interview with Xinhua after 17 Chinese students received scholarships under the Orange Tulip Scholarship (OTS) program in Beijing on Friday.

In 2018, the value of OTS scholarships available to students on the Chinese mainland totaled 6 million yuan ($907,180), according to Nuffic Neso China.

Bas Pulles, deputy head of mission at the Dutch Embassy in China, said the Netherlands is a great place for Chinese students to pursue their studies abroad.

"The quality of Dutch institutions is well-recognized. The tuition fees and cost of living are considerably lower than in English-speaking countries," Pulles said. "The Netherlands is one of the safest and happiest countries in the world. The Netherlands is also a beautiful country with a lot to see and experience."

Pulles said the past decade has witnessed considerable growth of educational exchanges between the two countries.

According to Nuffic Neso China, there are more than 200 partnerships between the two countries in higher education and 30 partnerships in secondary education.

In the current academic year 2017-18, more than 8,000 Chinese students are studying in the Netherlands, representing the second biggest group of international students there.