Political education is a key part of government policy, and it is quite rare for a government body to admit difficulties in enforcing such laws. (Photo : Getty Images)

Over the recent years, Chinese students have opted to explore other opportunities in foreign shores. In a striking turn of events, however, more students are also coming home, according to an article by the Wall Street Journal.




“A hundred rivers eventually return to the sea, it’s the right time to build a dream together,” was the headline of one of the latest issues of People’s Daily, the Communist Party’s flagship newspaper.



The article went on to state that a record number of students are returning to China--the largest record in history.



This is backed up by data from the Education Ministry, which has recorded that around 80 percent of Chinese students who have flown out for educational opportunities have returned home.



While some people think that the main reason behind the influx of students coming home are economic opportunities, the real reason may be rooted on more solid matters, like visas and other paperwork, according to WSJ.



It is also worth noting that, compared to the earlier batches who aimed for doctorates or advanced degrees, most students who have returned home only hold undergraduate degrees.



For those who have attained doctorates and other advanced degrees, legal barriers hinder them from pursuing work in countries like the United States, where the supply of H-1B skilled worker visas struggle to meet the vast demand for it.



For China’s part, the country has long attempted to lure Chinese students to come home by developing industrial parks for startup companies.



Back in 2000, there are only about 50 industrial parks in China, but the number has boomed to 300, with most incubating startups led by returnees, the WSJ article reported. Entrepreneurs like Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba, have also contributed to the rise of startup culture in China.



It may also be the case that some of the returning Chinese have been attracted by the offers of local residence permits from various cities, including Beijing. Such offers are usually targeted towards those who have earned advanced degrees abroad.

