Realization of employment opportunity : the difficulties and breakthrough of international students getting employed in China

The competition of comprehensive national strength is actually the competition of talents. The key to maintaining a competitive advantage in the world is whether it can attract high-end talents around the world. China's rapid economy and social development and the implementation of the Study in China Program 2010 have been attracting a large number of international students studying in China. Since 2014, China has become the third largest study abroad destination in the world. In order to effectively attract foreign talents, the central and local governments have successively introduced new policies, gradually reducing restrictions on the employment of foreign talents in China, and allowing outstanding foreign college graduates who meet the corresponding conditions to find employment in China. However, a gap between policies and the actual realizations has been observed. Based on a survey of 130 international students graduated from a university in Beijing in 2020 and 2021, this article reflects on the factors affecting international graduates getting employed in China. Data collected through questionnaires and interviews show that although more than 52% of international graduates are willing to work in China, the proportion of students who successfully get employed is only less than 10%. This low employment rate is not only found to be related to China's strict entry control measures under the COVID-19, but more closely related to factors from universities, employers and international students. To promote the strategy of reinvigorating China through human resource, China needs to implement a more open and flexible talent policy.