WorkinChina

The adaptation and development of overseas returnees in the Chinese workplace

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In recent years, with the acceleration of globalization, an increasing number of returnees have come back to China with an international perspective and advanced skills to enter the workplace. They have injected new vitality into Chinese enterprises, but they also face many challenges. According to the "ZHONGGUO LIUXUE HUIGUO JIUYE LANPISHU" released by the Ministry of Education's China Service Center for Scholarly Exchange, the number of students returning from studying abroad continued to expand in 2023, mainly aged between 20 and 30, with master's degrees accounting for the highest proportion at 63.09%. These figures suggest that returnees have become an important force that cannot be ignored in China's job market. This article will explore the adaptation and development of returnees in the Chinese workplace, with a focus on the policy support provided by the state and local governments to help returnees better integrate into the Chinese workplace and achieve career success.

An overview of returnees

A returnee (in a narrow sense) is a group of people who have returned from studying abroad and are recognized as having professional advantages or outstanding contributions, usually to meet one of the following conditions: high academic qualifications: such as a PhD or postdoctoral degree from a top overseas university; High skills: Experience in core technologies or scarce fields (such as AI, chips); High achievement: Holding a key position in a well-known overseas enterprise or research institution, or having a successful entrepreneurial case; Policy recognition: Selected for national talent introduction programs (such as the "Thousand Talents Program") or local talent programs (such as Shanghai's "Pujiang Talent Program"). Overseas returnees (in a broad sense) refer to all those who have completed their studies abroad and returned to China, regardless of educational level, country of study, or whether they were recognized as "talents". For example, bachelor's, master's, doctoral graduates, or even short-term exchange students, all fall into this category upon their return to China. Overseas returnees are typically classified into three categories: academic, professional, and entrepreneurial. Academic returnees, with their high academic qualifications and professional knowledge, have broad prospects in the fields of research and education; Professional returnees, with their overseas work experience as an advantage, demonstrate unique value in industries such as finance and consulting; Entrepreneurial returnees return home with innovative ideas and technologies to start their own businesses. In recent years, the number of returnees has grown steadily. These returnees, with their foreign educational background and work experience, are distributed in fields such as science and technology, education, finance, and healthcare. According to the 2024 Blue Book on Employment of Returned Overseas Students in China, 63.09% of the returnees in 2023 have a master's degree, 5.88% have a doctoral degree, and 30.18% have a bachelor's degree. These returnees bring an international perspective and advanced technical knowledge. However, in the early days of their return to China, they faced adaptation problems such as cultural differences, different working habits and workplace environments.

Overseas returnees have a wide range of industries in the Chinese workplace, covering finance, education, technology, healthcare and many other fields. In terms of career choices, returnees choose to return to their original professional fields, cross over into new industries, or start their own businesses based on their professional background, interests, and market demand. According to the ZHONGGUO LIUXUE HUIGUO JIUYE LANPISHU, among those who have found employment after studying abroad, science accounts for the highest proportion at 30.95%, followed by engineering at 17.64%, management at 15.53%, and economics at 15.36%. This indicates that overseas returnees have a higher proportion of employment in science and engineering, and there is also a relatively greater demand for international talents in these fields.

The challenges for returnees

Cultural adaptability is a major challenge for returnees. Some returnees encounter misunderstandings and prejudices in the workplace due to cultural differences, which affects teamwork and work efficiency. For example, individualism is emphasized abroad while collectivism is more emphasized in China, and this difference can lead to communication barriers and work conflicts. The educational background and training of returnees focus on theoretical knowledge and research capabilities, while the Chinese market places more emphasis on practical experience and the application of vocational skills. Therefore, returnees need to keep abreast of the latest developments in the Chinese market and actively participate in vocational training and skill enhancement to narrow this gap. Cultural differences lead to differences in thinking patterns, communication styles and work habits between returnees and their Chinese colleagues, making it difficult for them to find like-minded partners, and information asymmetry may also cause returnees to miss career development opportunities. Building an effective professional network and information network is crucial for the career development of returnees.

According to the 2024 China Blue Book on Employment of Returned Overseas Students, the main reasons for the lack of employment of returned overseas students are mainly due to insufficient internship or practical experience, limited access to job information, and limitations in their own majors. Among them, lack of internship or practical experience accounts for the highest proportion, reaching 50.24%. This indicates that overseas returnees need to pay more attention to the accumulation of practical experience and the acquisition of employment information when they return to work in China. The salary levels of returnees have also received widespread attention. The data shows that the salaries of those who returned from studying abroad are mainly concentrated between 100,000 and 290,000 yuan, accounting for 67.3%. Among them, 13.29% earn less than 100,000, 31.74% earn between 100,000 and 190,000, and 35.56% earn between 200,000 and 290,000. 300,000-490,000 accounted for 13.33 percent, and over 500,000 accounted for 6.08 percent. This suggests that those who returned from studying abroad have higher salaries in the Chinese workplace compared to Chinese talents, but there are also some differences among those who returned from studying abroad.

Strategies for returnees from overseas

To enhance cultural adaptability, one needs to start with psychological adjustment. Overseas returnees should face up to cultural differences, keep an open mind, actively learn about local culture, and transform their overseas advantages into competitiveness in the Chinese workplace. Specifically, one should understand the Chinese workplace culture, adapt to the teamwork and relationship-oriented work mode, make full use of the international background such as foreign language proficiency, cross-cultural communication skills and international perspective, continuously learn professional skills, participate in training and industry exchange activities, and update the knowledge system. In addition, companies should offer cross-cultural training and build multicultural teams to help returnees integrate into the corporate culture.

Building a career network is an important way for returnees to develop in the Chinese workplace. Returnees can connect with industry experts through social media platforms such as linkedin and professional social platforms to get industry news and job opportunities; Attend industry conferences, seminars and forums to learn about industry trends and meet experts and potential partners; Join industry associations and professional organizations and participate in events and projects. In the process, you need to continuously improve your professional skills and industry knowledge, enhance your competitiveness, and learn to communicate and express your views effectively in order to stand out in your professional network. At the same time, overseas returnees are also crucial in formulating career development plans, having a clear understanding of career positioning, adjusting career plans in line with the demands of the Chinese market, balancing personal interests with career development, setting long-term and short-term goals, and ensuring the directionality and continuity of career development.

When returning to China for employment, overseas returnees will inevitably face cultural conflicts between China and the West, which are not only reflected in language and living habits, but also in working methods, management concepts and values. For instance, Western culture emphasizes individualism and free innovation, while Chinese culture places more emphasis on collectivism and teamwork; The decision-making process of Western enterprises is relatively flexible, while Chinese enterprises tend to focus more on hierarchical management and collective decision-making. These differences can lead to obstacles for returnees when communicating with Chinese colleagues, reporting to superiors, and participating in team projects, and even misunderstandings and conflicts. According to the article "Analysis of the Employment Situation of Overseas Returnees", cultural differences are one of the important challenges that overseas returnees face when seeking employment in China, and they need to be given high attention. In order to resolve cultural conflicts, returnees need to actively engage in cultural integration, maintain an open mind, respect and understand traditional Chinese culture and values, and strive to adapt to the working environment and cultural atmosphere in China. Companies should also help returnees better integrate into corporate and team cultures by conducting cross-cultural training and building multicultural teams. In addition, returnees can enhance their understanding and identification with Chinese society and culture by participating in social activities and communicating with Chinese professionals. Through mutual efforts, promote the exchange and integration of Chinese and Western cultures and create a favorable cultural environment for the development of overseas returnees in the Chinese workplace.

Policies for the return of returnees

In recent years, the Chinese government has attached great importance to the introduction and development of returnees, and has introduced a series of national policies to provide all-round support for returnees to start businesses and find jobs in China. The state offers tax incentives for returnees to start businesses in China. Enterprises founded by returnees are exempt from corporate income tax for a certain period of time, which greatly reduces the financial pressure in the early stage of entrepreneurship and encourages more returnees to engage in the field of scientific and technological innovation. The state has set up a special entrepreneurship fund to provide financial support for overseas returnees' entrepreneurship. At the same time, the state provides services such as entrepreneurship training and project incubation to enhance the entrepreneurial capabilities of returnees. The Ministry of Education's Overseas Study Service Center regularly holds job fairs for overseas returnees, providing a platform for them to connect with Chinese employers. In addition, services such as career planning guidance and employment consultation are provided to help returnees better understand the Chinese job market and clarify their career development directions.

Local governments, in accordance with their own economic and social development needs, have introduced policies with local characteristics to attract overseas returnees, creating a situation of "a thousand sails competing". Shanghai offers direct settlement policies for graduates from the world's top 100 universities. Those with a bachelor's degree or higher from the top 50 universities in the world can directly settle down without social security requirements if they work full-time. Students from 51 to 100 universities only need to pay social security for six months to settle down. The startup green channel allows core members of overseas students' startups to settle down with six months of social security, and spouses and minor children can move along. Beijing focuses on high-end talents and offers priority for household registration and the migration of spouses and children. Overseas students with a master's degree or above and under 45 years old who have paid social security for three consecutive months can apply for household registration in state-owned enterprises, public institutions or high-tech enterprises. Guangzhou has lifted the social security years limit. Those who have found a job and started paying social security can apply for household registration, and the age limit for doctoral candidates has been relaxed to 50. Shenzhen provides convenience for people with a bachelor's degree or higher, or those who have studied abroad for at least one year and are under 45 years old, and they need to obtain the Certificate of Qualification for Overseas Students first. New first-tier cities such as Hangzhou, Chengdu, Wuhan and Suzhou offer more lenient household registration policies. For example, in Hangzhou, one can apply directly without social security within two years of graduation. In Suzhou, those under 45 years old with a bachelor's degree and under 50 years old with a master's degree can apply upon returning to China within two years of graduation.

Local governments offer generous housing and living subsidies to attract returnees. For example, Nansha District offers talent apartments with rents as low as 50% of the market rate, and undergraduate students receive a living allowance of 20,000 yuan. Shanghai Hongkou, Baoshan and other districts offer rental subsidies ranging from 7,000 to 30,000 yuan per month for up to six months; Hangzhou offers a living allowance of 10,000 yuan plus a rental subsidy of 10,000 yuan per year for up to six years for fresh graduates. Xiamen offers 30,000 yuan in rental subsidies to undergraduates from the world's top 200 universities. Local governments have set up entrepreneurship subsidy and financial support programs to help returnees start businesses and innovate. For instance, Pudong New Area in Shanghai offers 150,000 yuan in interest-free loans and up to 40 million yuan in fund support for science and technology projects; Hangzhou offers up to 5 million yuan in funding for outstanding projects; Shenzhen students can receive a subsidy of 50,000 to 150,000 yuan, and high-tech projects can receive an additional 100,000 to 150,000 yuan in research funds.

On July 15, 2025, the Bincheng Times reported that the "Overseas Talent Entrepreneurship Insurance Service Plan" had been implemented in the Binhai New Area of Tianjin. The program, jointly launched by the Innovation and Development Bureau of the Tianjin Pilot Free Trade Zone, the Tianjin Branch of People's Insurance Company (Property) of China, and the National Offshore Talent Innovation and Entrepreneurship Base (Tianjin Binhai New Area), aims to address issues such as business safety, research and development transformation, market expansion, and intellectual property protection for returnee startups and help them avoid risks. To ensure that overseas talents have no worries about starting businesses. Tianjin Shijue Intelligent Technology Company became the first company to take out insurance under the program, covering two types of insurance including patent infringement loss insurance and employer liability insurance, with a cumulative coverage of 690,000 yuan, building a solid risk prevention barrier for its own development. This innovative measure not only provides real risk protection for enterprises founded by returnees, but also offers a useful reference for other regions to attract and retain returnees.

On January 17, 2025, the Shanghai Science and Technology News reported on a proposal submitted by the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the China Zhi Gong Party at the Shanghai Two Sessions titled "Suggestions on Enhancing Shanghai's Appeal and Cohesion to Young Overseas Returnees". The proposal pointed out that although Shanghai has introduced many effective policies and measures in recent years as the preferred destination for international students returning to work, there is still room for improvement in its appeal and cohesion to international young talents in the context of the global battle for talent. The proposal suggests starting from improving the policy system for attracting young overseas students, enhancing the professional incubation capacity of overseas students' entrepreneurship parks, and expanding the channels for discovery and the scope of work, to strengthen the sense of belonging of young overseas students to the city, so that they are willing to come, stay and work. It is suggested that government departments provide unified guidance, and each overseas returnee entrepreneurship park should develop differently based on its geographical advantages and industrial foundation, establish a training system for employees of overseas returnee business incubators, and strengthen entrepreneurship guidance for young talents who have returned from studying abroad. The specific measures proposed provide a clear path for Shanghai to further optimize the development environment for overseas returnees.

Enterprises and overseas returnees

On April 22, 2025, Dong Mingzhu, chairperson and CEO of Gree Electric Appliances, said at an extraordinary general meeting that Gree Electric Appliances "will never use returnees", sparking widespread controversy. On the one hand, there are views that Dong's remarks reflect the company's personnel strategy of emphasizing independent research and development and internal talent cultivation, which is in line with the company's need to maintain a technology closed loop and cost control; On the other hand, there are also views that such remarks are stigmatizing and discriminating against groups, contrary to the trend of globalization and restricting technological and management innovation of the enterprise. From the perspective of enterprise development, how to balance the talent strategies of localization and internationalization and build a modern enterprise talent management system is an important issue that Gree Electric Appliances and other Chinese enterprises need to think deeply about.

In sharp contrast to Gree, companies like Huawei and Tencent have a more open and inclusive attitude towards the introduction and use of overseas returnees. These companies have fully recognized the important role of returnees in technology introduction and international vision expansion, and have enhanced their core competitiveness by building international talent teams. For instance, Huawei has attracted and cultivated a large number of returnees worldwide, who have played a significant role in research and development and innovation in key areas such as 5G communication technology and artificial intelligence. Tencent has also driven rapid growth in areas such as Internet finance and game development by bringing in returnees. The successful practices of these enterprises show that making good use of the advantages of returnees can bring new development opportunities and innovative impetus to enterprises.

The responsibility of returnees

The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China emphasized the major strategic deployment of "comprehensively advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-style modernization". In the construction of Chinese-style modernization, overseas returnees are facing unprecedented opportunities. Overseas returnees are well-versed in both Chinese and Western cultures, have an international perspective and advanced development concepts, possess high scientific and technological innovation capabilities and professional technical levels, and can provide strong intellectual support for the modernization of China. For example, there are great opportunities in high-precision fields such as artificial intelligence, biomedicine, and intelligent manufacturing of electronic information. Overseas returnees can leverage their overseas study and work experience to drive technological innovation and development in these fields. At the same time, in promoting rural revitalization, green development, and the development of strategic emerging industries, overseas returnees can play an important role and inject new vitality into the construction of Chinese-style modernization.

While enjoying the opportunities, overseas returnees also shoulder important responsibilities and missions. Overseas returnees should actively integrate into China's modernization drive, give full play to their strengths and contribute to China's development. First of all, returnees should enhance their own learning and capabilities, constantly update their knowledge system and improve their professional skills to better adapt to the demands of China's modernization drive. Secondly, overseas returnees should actively spread China's voice, tell China's stories, and through their international influence, present a true, three-dimensional and comprehensive image of China to the world and enhance China's international reputation and influence. Finally, overseas returnees should actively participate in social public welfare activities, pay attention to social hot issues, and contribute wisdom and strength to resolving social contradictions and promoting social harmony and development. Only in this way can overseas returnees make greater contributions to the modernization of China while realizing their personal value.