Wang Jingli

wangjingli0715@163.com

SHENZHEN, with its rapid development and innovation vitality, has become a magnet for college and university graduates as well as returned overseas Chinese students.

The city has now attracted 190,000 overseas returnees, with around 27,000 among them settled down locally last year, up by over 30% year on year, according to data from the municipal human resources and social security bureau.

Shenzhen Overseas Chinese Returnees Association told Shenzhen Daily that every year there is an increase in the number of its members. At present, there are still hundreds of applicants waiting for their membership applications’ approval.

Li Xinran, a returned Chinese student who finished her master’s degree program in the U.K. in December last year, decided to seek a job opportunity in Shenzhen after noticing a job fair for returned students who studied abroad was held in the city this May.

Li observed that the city is inviting more talents to join the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Fan Jinjin, a fresh graduate from Fujian Province, also chose to stay and work in the city after graduation from Shenzhen University. She has received an offer from a manufacturing company for an overseas marketing job.

“As a language learner, cross-border e-commerce is a good field. Shenzhen is home to a bevy of cross-border e-commerce businesses so there is a need for language talents,” Fan said.

In addition, Fan suggested Shenzhen’s inclusiveness, freedom and efficiency are also the reasons for her to choose to work in the city, adding that “Shenzhen has many internship opportunities. I attended three internship programs and finally decided my career direction.”

In recent years, Shenzhen has laid out a series of measures to attract talents, including offering government-subsidized housing for qualified talents.

Cai Anxian, currently working as an English teacher at a primary school in Longhua District, said that these policies had helped confirm his decision to stay in the city.

“The school arranged an affordable apartment for me to live in. I come from Shantou, so this is a very practical support,” said Cai, who graduated from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen last year.

“Shenzhen has convenient traffic and is very efficient, so I finally took the teaching job over other options,” Cai said.