China braces for returnee wave as overseas visas, jobs dry up

Tighter visa rules and shrinking job opportunities abroad are driving a surge of overseas Chinese students back home, prompting Beijing to roll out new job and startup support even as competition in the domestic labour market intensifies

- PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

China is facing a surge of returning overseas students as visa and employment opportunities shrink abroad, prompting the government to start a special platform to help them find jobs and start businesses.

About 4.95 lakh students returned to China after studying abroad in 2024, a 19.1 per cent increase from the previous year, the Ministry of Education said recently.

Zheng Jinlian, vice-president of the Beijing-based think tank Centre for China and Globalisation, predicted the number of returnees would continue to grow over the next few years, as last year’s increase was part of a rising trend.

"Although the domestic economic situation is not very good, it may still be better than elsewhere," she was quoted by the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post.