Xiamen hosts its first international job fair outside Fujian

The city of Xiamen hosted its first international job fair in Beijing on Sunday, marking a new push to attract international professionals beyond its home province of Fujian.

The event brought together 41 employers, including C&D Inc, Luckin Coffee, and Xiamen University, offering over 60 high-level positions, electronics, logistics, education, research, and other sectors. Around 160 roles were promoted on-site and online.

Top vacancies included R&D engineers, algorithm specialists, and international marketing directors, with salaries reaching up to 800,000 yuan ($111,000) annually. Organisers said 69 initial matches were made during the fair.

"This platform is highly efficient," said Sun Fuwei, manager of the Beijing office of Xiamen ITG Group, a State-owned company. "We've already made matches with two professionals from the Arab region for our international trade operations."

Lai Siwei from Xiamen University added, "This event expanded our access to international talent, including international graduates from Chinese universities."

Among the jobseekers was Hawi Mebrate Dufera, a 24-year-old Ethiopian graduate with a master's degree in international trade from the University of International Business and Economics. "I hope to work in an engineering firm," she said. "I really love China and its culture, and I'm looking forward to a job opportunity in Xiamen."

Md Shakil Hossain Ridoy, from Bangladesh, recently earned a master's degree in mechanical engineering from the Beijing Institute of Technology. Attracted by the city's climate and lifestyle, he is seeking a position with a monthly salary of around 15,000 yuan.

To attract global talents like them, Xiamen offers generous incentives. Foreign professionals can receive a living allowance of up to 80,000 yuan, depending on their degree, after working in the city for three months.

The city has also implemented reforms to recognize international professional qualifications, streamline immigration and employment procedures, and establish a foreign expert evaluation system.

In 2024, the city introduced 3,566 international talents, marking a 17.8 percent year-on-year increase in foreign professionals. It now hosts nearly 20,000 high-level talents, 60,000 global professionals, and over 770,000 technical experts.