China needs to do better to hire and keep professional expats

The China Society for Research on International Professional Personnel Exchange and Development Annual Meeting was held in Beijing on Oct 31, 2014. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

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Although China is doing better at employing and keeping foreign professionals, more improvements needs to be made, according to a study on employment of foreign experts by the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs.

The China Society for Research on International Professional Personnel Exchange and Development was conducted in 2014 based on 2,031 questionnaires completed by expats who are already working in China, as well as their employers.

According to the report, China is still a very attractive destination for foreign professionals, dominated by male foreign professionals (73.8 percent male vs. 26.2 percent female,) with 34 percent from North America, 28 percent from European countries and 21 percent from Asia.

A majority of questionnaire participants already had working experiences in China. Nearly half of participants have worked in China for 0-5 years, 30 percent for 5-10 years and 20.4 percent with more than a decade of professional experience in China.

In a question that allowed multiple choices, nearly 70 percent of participants said they chose to work in China because of China's prospects, 42 percent said they were attracted by China's history and culture and 57 percent said their professional expertise were advantageous in China's market.