China is witnessing a sharp rise in the number of overseas students returning home as tightening visa regimes and shrinking employment opportunities abroad push graduates to reassess their prospects, prompting the government to roll out a national platform to support their employment and entrepreneurial ambitions.
About 4.95 lakh students returned to China after studying abroad in 2024, marking a 19.1 per cent increase from the previous year, according to the Ministry of Education.
The trend is expected to continue in the coming years, said Zheng Jinlian, vice-president of the Beijing-based think tank Centre for China and Globalisation.
Zheng described last year’s rise as part of a broader upward trajectory. “Although the domestic economic situation is not very good, it may still be better than elsewhere,” she was quoted as saying by the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post.
She pointed to stricter visa policies in countries such as the US, which have made it increasingly difficult for international students to secure employment after graduation.
Chinese students have traditionally formed one of the largest groups studying overseas, mainly in the US and Western universities, often supported by government programmes and bank loans.
Data published by the Post showed that around 7.43 million Chinese students completed their studies abroad between 1978 and 2024.
Of these, 6.44 million returned to China, contributing significantly to the country’s development, particularly in the technology sector.
To manage the growing inflow of returnees, China has launched a national-level service platform aimed at helping overseas-educated graduates find jobs and start businesses.
Under the initiative, the Ministry of Education has partnered with 50 organisations to offer entrepreneurial mentors and to directly match returnees with the needs of local governments and companies.
Zheng said the measures underscored that the value of overseas returnees continued to be recognised at the national level, despite rising scepticism in public discourse about the worth of foreign education.
“Overseas students drive innovation and entrepreneurship. They play a vital role across various industries and in the development of our talent pool,” she said.
The ministry has reportedly identified areas such as artificial intelligence and new materials as sectors with a strong demand for overseas talent.
The initiative was unveiled at an event in Shanghai last Thursday marking the 30th anniversary of the Chunhui programme, a long-running state effort encouraging overseas students to contribute to national development.
Highlighting the influence of foreign-educated professionals, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security said that as of 2023, more than 70 per cent of the leaders of key national projects and university presidents, along with most directors of top-tier hospitals, were former overseas students who had returned to China.
The growing wave of returnees has, however, fuelled resentment among local graduates, as foreign-educated candidates are often preferred for their technical expertise and English language skills.
The competition comes at a time when more than 12 million students enter China’s job market every year, even as opportunities shrink.
Recent reports put the unemployment rate at around 19 per cent, intensifying pressure on local employment.
At the recent annual central economic work conference, China’s leaders pledged to “formulate an integrated plan to advance the development of education, science and technology, and talent”, signalling continued policy focus on harnessing human capital amid economic challenges.