Attracting skilled international migrants to China: A review and comparison of policies and practices

The report reviews the existing policies and practices of China concerning the attraction of foreign professionals and other skilled international migrants with a comparative analysis of talent attraction policies and their outcomes in Germany, Japan, and Singapore. Based on a comparative study, recommendations are put forward for China to improve its foreign talent policies and practices in order to be more successful in the international competition for talents.

China is actively pursuing a transformation from an export-oriented, low-skilled and labour-intensive economy towards a science, technology and innovation-based economy. Such transformation inevitably spurs rapid growth in the demand for high skilled workers. More than ever committed to globalization, the Chinese government is attaching more importance to the attraction of foreign talents who not only bring valuable resources to help boost China’s economic development but also contribute to building and strengthening the relationship between China and the rest of the world. Working towards this objective of competing for global talent, China has become ever more aware of the urgent need for the introduction of specific schemes and policies to attract skilled international migrants.

The study on attracting skilled international migrants to China: A review and comparison of policies and practices was conducted under the EU–China Dialogue on Migration and Mobility Support Project, a collaboration between the International Labour Organization and the International Organization for Migration, funded by the European Union.