Beijing: 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.