China’s economic powerhouses urged to fix ‘challenging human-to-human aspect’ amid talent hunt
- European Union Chamber of Commerce in China position paper showed Beijing’s strict zero-Covid policy measures detracted from efforts to attract overseas talent
- Officials must improve work permit and residence policies, as well as training public employees to ‘make foreign nationals feel welcome in the community’
China’s local governments, especially its economic powerhouses, need to increase efforts to attract international talent and treat foreign nationals equally, according to the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China.
The “European Business in China - Nanjing Position Paper 2023/2024”, released on Thursday by the chambers chapter in the provincial capital, stated that China’s strict zero-Covid policy measures detracted from the region’s push to become more international.
The paper, which was compiled based on contributions from more than 120 members from May until January, highlighted the need for local governments to improve their work permit and residence policies, as well as training its public employees to “make foreign nationals feel welcome in the community”.
Business is coming back, but the human-to-human aspect is still challenging
Many international businesses cited China’s control policies, which included sudden lockdowns, mass screening and mandatory quarantines, as among the reasons that they have struggled to retain and attract foreign workers.
European Union Chamber of Commerce in China president Joerg Wuttke said China is facing growing competition from other countries in Asia, including Japan and South Korea, when it comes to attracting foreign talent.
‘The point about keeping foreign students here is essential,” Wuttke said, adding that costly air ticket prices to China are still putting off international visitors.
“Business is coming back, but the human-to-human aspect is still challenging.”