(TibetanReview.net, Oct02’25) – As a record 12.2 million new college graduates compete for jobs in a tough economy and as youth unemployment hovers close to 19%, China is facing an online backlash for the new “K-visa” program it launched on Oct 1 to attract global talent to its workforce.
The program has been touted as a boon for China’s development, and widely seen as a part of its bid to gain an edge in its technology rivalry with the US as President Donald Trump pushes to slash federal funding for research and tightens restrictions on international students and workers, noted edition.cnn.com Oct 2.
But China clearly does not lack talent, it only needs to generate more jobs by putting its economy in order, according to online comments from its huge pool of graduate unemployed youth.
Discussion of the K-visa category has dominated social media discussion in recent days, where top-trending hashtags related to the visa have reached roughly half a billion views in the space of two days, the report noted.
“There are so many (master’s degree holders) here struggling to find jobs, and you are looking to bring in more talent (from overseas)?” one comment on social media has said, garnering thousands of likes.
But that’s only one point of criticism. Other commentators have reflected nationalist and xenophobic views, with one wondering about the “endless consequences” of potentially expanding immigration.
Nationalism has thrived under Chinese President Xi Jinping, including on China’s tightly regulated social media platforms where moderate voices have been marginalized and online discourse can turn ugly when discussing foreigners, the report noted.
Still, the new visa category appears as a signal from Beijing to the world that as the US is closing its doors, including by imposing a $100,000 application fee for new H-1B visas, China will open them more widely, including to foreign students already in the country, the report said.
China’s official media has dismissed the online criticisms. “China has astutely seized this important opportunity and promptly enacted policies that will undoubtedly have a profound impact on our future development. … However, some people have misinterpreted and misunderstood the policy, spreading bizarre theories that mislead the public and create unnecessary anxiety,” China’s Party mouthpiece People’s Daily has said in a Sep 30 editorial.
Still, it bears noting that the common thread underlying most online discussion has been a concern that welcoming overseas talent will disadvantage those within China who are already struggling – a debate not unlike the one driving changes to the H1-B in the United States, the report noted.
China’s youth unemployment rate hit 18.9% in August, the highest since Dec 2023, when the country began releasing the figure following a pause as it changed its methodology, the report noted.
The K-visa program was thrust into the public spotlight last week, when an Indian outlet referred to it as “China’s H-1B”. Indians dominate this program, making up more than 70% of the recipients in recent years, noted the bbc.com Oct 2.
The Indian media report was picked up widely in China, stoking concern – and even fears – amongst the public over whether benefits extended to foreigners would increase competition in a sluggish job market – and in a country that has traditionally not been a major immigration destination for foreign professionals, the report said,
“We have so many bachelor’s degree holders, not to mention even more with master’s and doctoral degrees. We already have a surplus of domestic talent – and now you’re bringing in foreign college graduates?” the report quoted one online comment as saying.
The report Said the online backlash has been so intense that state media outlets have stepped in to try to calm the waters.