German media: China opens its doors to high-tech talents from abroad

While the United States tightens its visa policies, China has opened its doors to high-tech talents from around the world. According to a report by "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung", it remains to be seen whether China can replace the United States as the preferred destination for global tech talents. "Neue Zürcher Zeitung" commented that the attitudes of the United States and China towards foreign tech talents will have a profound impact on their future geopolitical competition.

Starting October 1st, China introduced a new type of visa specifically aimed at foreign talents in high-tech fields. A Chinese judicial official stated that the key difference between the new K visa and previous types of visas is that applicants do not need to have an employer or inviting institution in advance, but can find work after entering the country. The "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" reported under the title "China is making efforts to attract foreign tech talents":

"The latest visa policy introduced by China contrasts sharply with the approach of the Trump administration. However, so far, China is not yet a strong competitor in the race for foreign tech talents. The United States has historically been a country of immigrants, while China has repeatedly experienced periods of isolation throughout its history. Even today, few countries in the world have as few foreigners as China. There are still many Chinese people who have never seen foreigners. Apart from a few international metropolises, there are very few foreigners in other large and medium-sized cities in China. According to the latest population census data from 2020, the total number of foreigners in China is approximately 850,000, accounting for only 0.06%. That is to say, the total number of foreigners in the entire country is less than the number of foreigners in one city in Berlin."

A report published by Victor Seim, a Shanghai headhunter, last year mentioned that nearly half of the foreign population in China comes from Myanmar and Vietnam. They mainly live in Yunnan Province in southern China, and most of them are engaged in agricultural production, which is basically unrelated to technology companies. At the same time, the number of students from Europe and the United States has not shown a significant recovery after the pandemic. Data provided by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) show that there are currently only 3,400 German students in China, while the number of German students before the pandemic was as high as 8,000.

After the end of the pandemic, Beijing has been striving to attract more foreigners to enter. When introducing the K visa, a Chinese judicial official said: "China's development requires participation from talents around the world." About two years ago, China began implementing a 30-day visa-free entry policy for citizens of several countries, and the number of countries enjoying this visa-free treatment has now increased to more than thirty, including Germany and several EU member states. At the same time, Chinese tech companies have also removed some obstacles for foreigners using mobile applications such as WeChat and Alipay. It should be noted that without these applications, it is almost impossible to move around in China. Victor Seim said: "China clearly knows that high-level foreign individuals can bring many benefits: increasing tax revenue, enhancing knowledge and skills, and even increasing consumption spending. In addition, through their promotion in their own countries, it also equals to enhancing China's soft power."

The "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" quoted comments from some foreign residents in China, reporting that although the Beijing leadership is actively promoting the introduction of international talents, local authorities apparently lack preparation: To attract foreign talents, China needs to create a truly open environment.

"The reactions on Chinese social media in recent days also indicate that China still has a long way to go in attracting foreign talents."

"The appeal of the United States to elite talents is rapidly declining"

Regarding the recent adjustments to the visa policies for foreign talents by the United States and China, the "Neue Zürcher Zeitung" published a commentary:

"It is precisely China that provides an alternative option for talents from all countries: As the second largest economy in the world, China launched a new foreign work permit starting October 1st. With this 'K visa', foreign talents in fields such as natural sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics will be allowed to work and live in China.

The current trend is indeed astonishing: The United States is closing its doors, while China is opening its doors. This trend is likely to affect the geopolitical competition between the two superpowers. After all, whoever dominates in core technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence, and genetic research will become the leader in geopolitical competition.

In the competition for geopolitics, no country can become the ultimate winner on its own without the assistance of foreign talents. And the key to where top foreign talents choose to live and work is which country they are more popular in."

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1844825756522891/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author himself