HONG KONG tertiary students intending to land a trading career in China will face keen competition from people from both inside and outside the mainland, top businessmen have warned. Speaking at a forum held as part of Hong Kong University's Hornell Festival '94, Roger Chu Ying , a senior manager (exhibitions) of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council who spends most of his time in China, said the chances of job promotion in China were not as promising as two years ago. 'Job competition from Singaporean graduates is keen because of their comparatively better language skills in English and Mandarin. 'Students from Taiwan, with their good connections and back-up from the US, are also tough competitors. Also, Westerners are striving to learn the language of the mainland to boost their chances of getting work. Returning Chinese students who have earned their master's degree and even doctorate degree also pose a threat,' Mr Chu said. Another speaker, Lam Shun , a Hongkong Bank senior project finance manager with more than five years' experience in handling the bank's credits in China, said many Western corporations in China were employing mainland students. 'Employers will have to invest a considerable amount of their budget on Hong Kong students [if they work in China] since their accommodation, travelling and daily expenses would have to be covered.' Chu Yu-lun, managing director of a large supermarket in Shanghai, advised students interested in working in China to try to adapt to the lifestyle there.
