Li Mingbo, of Guangzhou Institute of the Greater Bay Area, says China should create English-friendly environment to attract foreign talent.
China can learn from US immigration strategies to attract foreign talent and stay competitive in the intensifying global tech race, a Chinese public policy analyst has said.
He said conflict-affected countries such as Ukraine, Russia and Iran were home to incredible tech talent, including top engineers and mathematicians looking for safer, better places to live. “China actually has an urgent need for certain technical professionals, and those countries have plenty of them,” Li said. “It would be great if we could bring them in through a technical immigration pathway, yet we currently lack relevant policies.”
The pledge follows last year’s introduction of a new K-visa category, a scheme designed to draw young science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, professionals from overseas by offering streamlined entry, residence and employment options without requiring a local employer or inviting entity.
Data from the 2020 census showed that only 845,000 foreign nationals were living in mainland China, representing just 0.06 per cent of its overall population. By comparison, the US was home to 52 million immigrants as of June last year, accounting for about 15 per cent of residents.
The proposal advocates for a unified identity authentication system that shares data across departments and platforms, creating a single identity framework for the visitors’ entire stay in China and eliminating day-to-day operational hurdles. They also suggested linking personal information to a unique permanent ID, rather than a passport number that changes upon renewal, for seamless access to services such as banking, accommodation, transit and work.
However, Li said he did not know how the proposal was progressing. Beyond simplifying work permits, residence visas and identity authentication systems, Li emphasised the need for an English-friendly environment to attract more foreign visitors and residents. He suggested standardising English translations on public signage and introducing English-language interfaces for ride-hailing and navigation apps.
Additional reporting by Fan Chen
