The Chinese government recently announced it will remove the requirement for foreigners with university degrees to have two years of work experience when applying for a work permit in Beijing, a policy that may soon be rolled out across the country.

The rule change is just one of a series of welcome recent measures aimed at tempting tourists, business travellers and students back to China post-Covid, including visa-free entry for a growing list of countries, relaxed requirements for visas on arrival, and easier payment options for foreign visitors.

These policies are a response to the sharp fall in the number of foreign nationals visiting as well as residing in China in recent years, and a recognition of the importance of reversing this trend to help strengthen people-to-people ties at all levels.

According to the most recent national census, Beijing’s foreign population fell from 107,000 in 2010 to around 62,000 in 2020. Meanwhile, the foreign population in Shanghai fell from 208,000 to 164,000 in the same period. Today, the numbers are likely even lower following the worst of the pandemic controls in 2022, which led to a large outflow of foreign nationals, particularly in Shanghai.

Crucially for young Brits, the pandemic effectively paused all the activity which had built up over the years – or in many cases decades – aimed at providing exchange opportunities. For three years, students were unable to visit China for study, and the arrival of graduates looking to develop their early careers in cities like Shanghai, Guangzhou, or Chengdu ground to a halt, save a few resourceful individuals who were able to navigate the visa and border restrictions.

Added to today’s challenges is the fact that the prevailing geopolitical environment has cooled enthusiasm among young Brits for exchanges with China. The trend was already drifting negative prior to the pandemic, with the problem compounded further by the sudden closing of China’s borders.

Meanwhile, the appetite for understanding of the UK in China remains strong, with student numbers around 150,000 last year and visitors beginning to return in large numbers. China not only has a sizeable trade surplus with the UK but also a knowledge surplus – and both will need to be addressed if we are to have a healthy, long-term relationship.

There are signs of light beginning to appear in the tunnel, however. Although recovering the full scale and scope of exchanges last seen in 2019 will take time, a growing range of institutions in the UK and China are taking encouraging steps to restart programmes, build new initiatives, or take existing programmes to the next level.

We have a lot of catching up to do after the last four years, and the need for two-way understanding is greater today than ever

The British Council is bringing a thousand British high school students to China in July 2024 as part of the Mandarin Excellence Programme. This is the first visit by the Mandarin Excellence Programme and will hopefully mark the start of a sustained effort to familiarise young Brits with Chinese language and culture.

A new initiative launched in 2023 by Engage with China saw 10 British pupils win A-level scholarships in China. The scholarships include both fully-funded and part-funded placements and are run in collaboration with Wycombe Abbey School in Changzhou (WASC).

Tom Simpson and his cohort on a gap year with Project Trust in 2004-05

Project Trust is also resuming its China programmes for gap-year students. PT will have its first cohort of volunteers coming out to China later this summer to work in rural schools in Sichuan, Jiangxi and Heilongjiang after a four-year hiatus. I personally spent my first year in China with PT back in 2004-05, teaching at a school in rural Xinjiang before going on to study Chinese at Leeds University.

UK universities that diverted their Chinese language studies cohorts to Taiwan during the pandemic are now offering places at Chinese universities again. The resumption of university courses will help to raise the number of British students in China, even if the overall number is likely to remain low. While we don’t know the exact number of British students in China today, for context, there are just 720 US students currently studying in China.

The long-running Schwarzman Scholar programme, which offers a one-year Master of Global Affairs degree at Tsinghua University, is open to British applicants too, with the deadline for 2025 scholars open until September 2024. Although primarily a US-led program, the University of Oxford also plays a central role, including providing faculty.

Furthermore, the British Council’s Generation UK, which was launched in 2013 with the aim of helping UK students and graduates to “develop a global mindset through study and work experience opportunities in China”, will hopefully return at some stage in a new format. Since its inception, Generation UK has built a network of over 4,000 participants and has been one of the most impactful initiatives aimed at building an understanding of China among Brits to date.

Another important route for young Brits to come and work in China has been through internships. CRCC Asia provides one, two and three-month internships in China and is a great way for graduates to experience life in Shanghai. The China-Britain Business Council also provides internship opportunities in Beijing and Shanghai on an ongoing basis.

Although designed for mid-career participants, a mention should also go to the Great Britain China Centre’s Future Leaders Programme, which aims to “build China literacy among rising civil servants, MPs and business representatives” with modules in the UK and China. The programme has just closed applications for its 2024 cohort and, given the success of previous years, will hopefully become a sustained initiative.

Leeds University Chinese degree graduation group, 2009

A large number of the British expats who have built careers or started companies in China started out as graduates or arrived early in their careers with a curiosity to learn about the country and experience its work culture. Most did not study Chinese and simply saw China as a place where they could develop themselves and have a rewarding experience.

Several current UK MPs took up the option to come to China in their younger years. Catherine West (MP for Hornsey and Wood Green) worked at a school in Nanjing in the 1990s, while Mark Logan (MP for Bolton Northwest) worked at the British Consulate in Shanghai in the 2010s. Neil Coyle (MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark) also spent two years in China from 2001 as a 23-year-old.

A lot of work remains to be done to rebuild and reinvigorate activity to develop understanding of China among the next generation of Brits, whether through study, work, cultural exchange, travel or business connections. There is a role for us all to play, whether through developing internships or full-time roles, helping to spread the word about programmes such as those mentioned above, supporting the excellent work of the British Council, GBCC, Project Trust, Engage with China (and the many other organisations, too many to mention!) either financially, with your time, or developing new exchange programmes.

We have a lot of catching up to do after the last four years or so of disruption. Meanwhile, the need for two-way understanding is greater today than ever. I remain optimistic we will see the numbers of young Brits coming to China grow as the programmes listed above are reestablished and interest gradually returns. But what is clear is it will require a holistic and sustained approach from across businesses, NGOs, academic institutions and government if we are to be successful over the long term.

Photo by MD Duran on Unsplash

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China’s youth unemployment rate rose to a record high of 20.8% in May 2023, breaking the previous record high of 20.4% recorded in April. Over 11.5 million students are set to graduate in June, and many are likely to find themselves struggling to secure stable and fulfilling employment, leading to a growing sense of disillusionment.

China’s slower-than-expected post-Covid economic recovery has created a challenging environment for job seekers. Industries like education and real estate, which were once reliable sources of employment, have been curbed by government regulation, while emerging sectors like AI have yet to reach their full potential. This has left many graduates with limited options and a mismatch between their skills and the demands of the job market.

The Chinese government has responded to the problem by announcing subsidies for companies that hire unemployed graduates and by setting targets for state-owned enterprises to hire trainees. However, it has also criticised recent graduates as “self-indulgent” and emphasised the need to occasionally seek jobs that are below their expectations.

Economic factors aside, rising university enrolment rates are also thought to be contributing to high rates of youth unemployment by lowering the value of a degree. According to the Ministry of Education, the higher education enrolment rate hit 57.8% in 2021, compared to 30% in 2012.

Some have also criticised the universities themselves, arguing that they have failed to adapt curricula to meet the evolving needs of the job market. This disconnect between educational institutions and the demands of employers has resulted in graduates possessing skills that are not in high demand, further widening the gap between education and employment.

Chinese universities will need to follow in the footsteps of universities in the West – which have faced a similar problem with oversupply in recent years – by shifting the focus to practical, hands-on courses and bolstering career services. This could represent an opportunity for UK universities engaging in transnational education in China if they can create industry partnerships and tailor programmes that meet the needs of employers.

As a result, Chinese graduates are being forced to recalibrate their expectations. Chinese social media platforms like Weibo and Xiaohongshu are full of stories of graduates who have taken jobs below their skill level after months of failed job applications, for example, delivering for one of China’s many food delivery platforms. Others have resorted to “knowledge street vending,” setting up street stalls hawking services like copywriting, legal advice and psychological counselling, Sixth Tone recently reported.

Some have welcomed the reduced pressure that comes with more practical roles, viewing it as a chance to escape China’s notoriously punishing office hours. In recent years, many young Chinese people have been rejecting the high expectations placed on them by society, instead choosing to ‘lie flat’, i.e., not overworking, being content with more attainable achievements and taking time for themselves.

Nevertheless, the pressure is on to fix the youth unemployment situation, as the consequences extend beyond the individual and have broader implications for Chinese society. This cohort contributes heavily to consumer spending, a key driver of China’s post-Covid economic recovery.

However, perhaps more importantly for the Chinese government, unemployment among graduates can lead to reduced social mobility, increased social inequalities, and potential social unrest. The frustration and disillusionment experienced by unemployed graduates have already been evident through viral images and stories shared on social media platforms. The Chinese government must address these concerns to ensure stability and progress for the country’s future.

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