Opportunities, policies lure overseas talent back

The number of overseas returnees seeking employment on the Chinese mainland reached a new high in 2025, driven by promising domestic economic prospects and shifts in the global economic, technological and employment landscapes. This influx has invigorated China's development of new quality productive forces, particularly in the areas of software engineering, artificial intelligence and pharmaceuticals.

According to a recent report by domestic recruitment portal Zhaopin, the number of overseas returnees seeking jobs on the mainland increased 5 percent year-on-year in 2025, and roughly 1.5-fold since 2018. Among the returnees, the number of fresh graduates grew 12 percent over the previous year, and 2.25-fold since 2018, marking an eight-year high.

About one-third of returnees came from the United Kingdom, around one-fifth from Australia and almost 8 percent from the United States, the report noted.

According to Li Qiang, vice-president of Zhaopin, industry upgrades and development of new industries have created more job opportunities. Companies in the AI, new energy and high-end manufacturing sectors have increased investments, creating more jobs.

In the AI industry, job openings for roles like AI product manager grew 178 percent in the first three quarters of 2025 on Zhaopin's platform, with offers of competitive salaries.

"Some Chinese companies have shown increasing demand for talent with overseas education backgrounds and language abilities as they expand globally," Li said.

The Zhaopin report indicates that sectors such as education, consultancy and trade remain the largest employers of overseas returnees, emphasizing the importance of language skills, cross-cultural communication and overseas learning experience.

Industries involved in new quality productive forces, such as metal products and pharmaceutical manufacturing, are increasingly seeking overseas returnees too as they move toward smarter and greener operations and aim to expand internationally, according to the report.

On their part, returnees have shown keen interest in promising and futuristic industries, such as new materials, robotics and AI, which have higher technical thresholds, research and development inputs and international reputations. In 2025, resume submissions in the new materials sector grew almost 90 percent, with robotics witnessing a 75 percent increase in resume submissions and AI seeing around a 35 percent surge.

Li said that changes in the international employment environment also influenced students' decisions to return to the mainland. "Some countries have adjusted their working visa policies, increasing local employment competition. China, however, offers a convenient and stable living and working environment, with supportive policies on hukou (household registration permit) and entrepreneurship for returnees," he said.

Wang Siqi, 27, returned to the Chinese mainland after completing her postgraduate education in the UK in 2024. "I prefer the climate and living environment here on the mainland, which is much more convenient," said Wang, who now works for a consultancy company in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, and is satisfied with her job. She added that many of her peers have also returned, settling in major cities such as Shanghai and Beijing.

Li Chang'an, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics' Academy of China Open Economy Studies, attributed the rising number of returnees to China's robust economy, as well as the abundant job opportunities and attractive salaries created by industry transformation.

"Overseas students have access to cutting-edge ideas and technologies, giving them broad international perspectives. However, their long-term overseas experience may lead them to underestimate the competition in the mainland job market," he said, noting that domestic graduates, especially those from elite universities, possess strong abilities and qualities comparable to returnees, which may challenge the expectations of those returning.