Foreign talent being recruited to China
Over the next five years, China is looking to attract 2,000 highly skilled foreign experts in four key industries: agriculture, manufacturing, service as well as software and integrated circuits. In addition, 1,000 professional managers will be hired to train Chinese workers in finance, insurance, security and logistics. These massive recruitment programs were recently announced by the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs (SAFEA), who is also responsible for organizing the annual Job Fair for Foreigners in cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. gbtimes has recently interviewed Christina Yang, the director of the 2012 Job Fair for Foreigners and SAFEA Information Center official, about this recruitment drive aimed at attracting international professionals in these different fields.
Opportunity for foreigners
The SAFEA aims to provide a platform between foreigners in China, the Chinese government and Chinese employers, because an increasing number of companies are looking for highly qualified foreign professionals. “Currently, we are the only organization that has the qualifications to host the Job Fair for Foreigners. It is a very good opportunity for foreigners looking for a job in China. Job fairs indicate that a lot of foreigners are looking for a job now, including experienced staff as well as fresh graduates. The competition is very serious.” While foreign language experts and teachers remain in high demand, China also needs to boost newly emerged industries, such as energy conservation, high-end equipment production, new energy and new materials. “Different Chinese cities need different kinds of foreigners depending on the functions of the cities. For example, in Beijing, companies need foreign teachers, engineering and technician staff because there are a lot of universities and educational institutes, as well as technician companies. Shanghai is the biggest finance center in China, so we need a lot of staff for marketing, customer service, public relations and fields like that. In Guangzhou, we are looking for staff in the fields of export and import.”
Salary prospects
According to SAFEA law, there are two minimum requirements for a foreigner to get a working visa in China: they must have at least two years working experience and hold at least a Bachelor’s degree. The SAFEA has also issued many policies concerning salary standards for foreigners, especially for foreign experts with high qualifications. “There are regulations about vocations and allowances for foreign staff. Every school and company must obey the regulations because they are issued directly by the SAFEA,” explains Yang. If a foreigner holds a high position like COO or CEO, or runs a private business, Yang says that the salaries can get really high, especially for senior engineers with special skills in high tech industries and innovation systems. In the bigger cities, foreign teachers’ salaries can vary depending on the school he or she works in. “For example, if a foreigner works in a public school, like a university or a middle school, the salary is about 5,000 to 8,000 RMB per month, but if a foreigner works in a private school it could be about 10,000 RMB per month,” says Yang. She believes that the difference is that almost all public schools (universities or high schools) provide accommodation for their foreign staff, while private schools only give a certain amount of rental allowance so that foreign employees can rent homes in Beijing or near their working place.