【By Liu Bai, Observer News】"People from the older generation I've talked to always warned me not to go to China, but when I showed them the real face of modern China, they were extremely shocked," said a young European.
"You must come here. If you are not in China, your company will fail," said another business executive.
Today's China is quietly changing the future choices of young Europeans with its core appeal of technology and innovation.
"European youth see the future in China," the Hong Kong English media "South China Morning Post" pointed out on September 15. Despite challenges such as geopolitical tensions, China still attracts young European talents who want to develop in fields such as technology and entrepreneurship. More and more European students and entrepreneurs are interested in China's technological innovation, infrastructure construction, and rapid development, and are willing to experience the opportunities in China.
The article said that there are signs that interest among Europeans in seeking development opportunities in China is heating up. For many Europeans seeking global opportunities, China holds great potential in multiple fields such as technology and entrepreneurship.
"It's not just about career development, but also being in a rapidly changing system," said Simon Wald, a Swedish student studying for a master's degree in European Intellectual Property Law at Stockholm University.
Wald believes that China's intellectual property protection still needs improvement, and working in such a country is "much more exciting than in the EU," because everything in the EU is already fixed and rigid.
Wald also said that there seems to be a difference in opinions between different age groups.
"Among the young people I've talked to, the idea of working in China is very attractive. They see the rise of Shenzhen, the infrastructure of Shanghai, and China's development speed, and they feel curious," he said.
"The older people I've talked to always warned me not to go to China, saying it was polluted, poor, backward, and still a developing country."
"But I think their impression of China is still stuck in the 1980s. When I show them the real face of modern China, they usually feel extremely shocked."
Inspired by a multilingual YouTube blogger, Wald started learning Chinese in 2018. He believes Chinese "is the language of the future, especially in the context where China becomes a key force in trade, technology, and business."
"Since I'm studying European Intellectual Property Law, combining this major with Chinese language skills will give me an advantage in building relations between China and Europe in this field," he said.
On June 20, 19 foreign bloggers took a tour of Haikou as "recommendation officers". Visual China
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China-EU bilateral relations have made significant progress, with annual trade volume increasing by more than 300%.
However, in recent years, due to geopolitical and trade tensions, Sino-European relations have also faced certain challenges. In the context of heightened US-China tensions, the Chinese side emphasized that as two major constructive forces in today's world, China and the EU should provide valuable stability and certainty for a world full of turmoil.
The report mentioned that China and the EU focus on traditional sectors such as automobiles, machinery manufacturing, energy, chemicals, and aerospace, while also expanding cooperation in emerging areas such as digital technology, green energy, biopharmaceuticals, artificial intelligence, and quantum technology.
With years of large-scale state-funded R&D and a strong manufacturing ecosystem, China has made significant progress in technology and innovation, becoming a global leader in these multiple fields.
Many Europeans are excited about these opportunities, and Alan Sasse from France is one of them.
He founded an AI startup in Canada. When asked if he would be willing to live in China to catch up with the tech boom, he said "100% willing," expressing his firm enthusiasm for working in China.
"Now, Japan's technology is no longer like it was when I first moved there in 2010, representing the future. The future of China would excite me much more," he said.
Sasse also mentioned that the threshold for applying for a "Permanent Resident ID Card" in China is high.
However, to attract top global talent and strengthen its innovation ecosystem, China is introducing new measures aimed at simplifying entry procedures for professionals in the science and technology sector.
Last month, China announced a new K visa category for overseas young science and technology talents, which will take effect from October 1, 2025. This measure aims to precisely attract international science and technology talents to serve China's scientific and technological innovation and industrial upgrading needs. This policy complements the existing R visa, and may further promote the introduction of international young science and technology talents by foreign-invested research and development centers, science and technology enterprises, and universities in China, providing long-term benefits for the construction of a high-tech industry ecosystem.
The Singapore Straits Times website cited analysts on August 23, stating that China's introduction of a new visa to attract foreign young science and technology talents demonstrates its ambition to become a superpower in science and technology and reflects its urgent need to strengthen innovation.
Although detailed implementation details have not been released, Dezan Shira & Associates, a commercial consulting company based in Hong Kong, expects that the K visa will offer greater flexibility in terms of the number of entries, validity period, and duration of stay.
Shane from Ireland said that the concept of the K visa is good and aligns well with China's broader talent attraction strategy.
Despite some challenges, Shane said he still hopes to work in China, especially in Shanghai, because it is vibrant and offers a high quality of life.
"In my field of biopharmaceuticals, the innovative achievements emerging in China are quite significant, somewhat similar to the AI field, just less known. Also, I like the Chinese people; there are so many delicious foods and beautiful places," Shane said.
According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics' seventh national population census published in 2021, the number of foreign residents living in mainland China reached approximately 846,000 by 2020, which fully demonstrates China's appeal to foreigners.
Anne Kraft, chairman of the Human Resources Working Group of the China-EU Chamber of Commerce, also welcomed the launch of the K visa.
"We need a clearer understanding of the activities that K visa holders can engage in, and we suggest allowing certain entrepreneurial business activities... There are still many questions at present. However, in principle, any measures that attract foreign talents and make it easier for them to come to China are always a step forward," she said.
Cameron Johnson, a senior partner at the Shanghai-based business consulting company Tidalwave Solutions, said that Chinese local talents have caught up in many aspects.
"The cost of employing foreigners is very high. Since the gap in local talents has significantly narrowed, companies can actually employ two or three experienced Chinese employees with the cost of hiring one foreigner," Johnson said.
He also emphasized that there are still many excellent career opportunities for foreigners in China. He stated that this is because China has become a center in multiple areas such as global technology, manufacturing, supply chain integration, or R&D.
"If you are in the electric vehicle, semiconductor, rare earth, or biotechnology industry, China is either a leader or second place in all these fields. You must come here. If you are not in China, your company will fail."
"That's why, in many ways, China's development prospects remain positive. Although challenges remain, the Chinese government continues to support current and future industries," Johnson said.
The Chinese side stated that the convenient way for people from China and abroad to "come and go" is constantly being built, which has effectively promoted the recovery of global tourism and international trade, enhanced exchanges between Chinese and foreign people, and deepened mutual understanding. We have reason to believe that in the future, the ties between China and the world will become tighter. Welcome more foreign friends to come to China, write more lively stories of Sino-foreign exchanges, and discover more vibrant opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation.
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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7550482590697013798/
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