The bottom line is that, unlike the United States, China is not a country of immigrants. According to data in 2020, foreigners made up only about 0.1% of the continent’s population one estimate by scientists from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. That’s about 1.4 million people in a country of over 1.4 billion. For comparison, in the United States it is 15 percent of the population consists of immigrants. Even other East Asian countries such as Japan and South Korea are home to significantly more foreigners than China in terms of relative population size.
Since the United States already has a vast population of immigrants from around the world, it may be easier for fresh arrivals to adjust. Local companies operate in English, the language of global business. Colleagues and friends communicate through platforms like Gmail and Instagram, which are available in most parts of the world. And when it comes to convenience, H-1B recipients from India or China who land in San Francisco or Modern York will have no problem finding restaurants (even good ones!) that serve food that tastes like home.
However, in China, newcomers must navigate a corporate environment that is primarily Chinese-language – a language that few foreigners learn in grade school or while pursuing a STEM degree. The country’s technology ecosystem is also completely unique. Newcomers must cope not only with an unfamiliar language and culture, but also with a set of unfamiliar programs and applications, especially WeChat.
Better reputation
There are signs that more people may be willing to overcome these barriers to experience the benefits of living in China – a place now increasingly associated with bullet trains, electric cars and futuristic cities. In places like Greece, Spain and Germany, most people According to the Pew Research Center, China now sees China as the world’s largest economic power. Africa, the continent with the world’s youngest and fastest-growing population, is already shipping more students study in China every year than in the US or UK.
Personally, I’ve noticed that my American friends and family have a much more positive impression of China than they did a few years ago. This may be due in part to the popularity of Chinese exports such as TikTok, Temu and Labubu. A few friends even told me they particularly wanted to visit Chongqing, a Chinese megacity that didn’t attract many foreign tourists until videos of its skyline and heated pot restaurants it went viral on Instagram and TikTok.
Whether this growing curiosity translates into people actually moving to China will depend in part on how the government handles programs like the fresh K visa. These policies lower barriers for people who want to study or work there, but they also raise concerns at home. For now, it is unclear whether it will become a true gateway for fresh waves of international talent, or whether it will crumble in the face of the same rising nationalist sentiment that is changing politics around the world.
This is the release Zeyi Yang AND Louise Matsakis Newsletter produced in China. Read previous newsletters Here.