China needs US-style immigration policy to win tech rivalry with Washington: expert

China can learn from US immigration strategies to attract foreign talent and stay competitive in the intensifying global tech race, a Chinese public policy analyst has said.

Li Mingbo, deputy dean of the Guangzhou Institute of the Greater Bay Area (GIG), said China must be more efficient in promoting its new K visas for young science and technology specialists from overseas, noting that the country lacked an immigration system tailored for hi-tech talent.

“Although the US has tightened its visa policies, I think it still offers valuable lessons for China, particularly in attracting international hi-tech talent, an area where China remains relatively weak and overly conservative,” Li said earlier this month.

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He said conflict-affected countries such as Ukraine, Russia and Iran were home to incredible tech talent, including top engineers and mathematicians looking for safer, better places to live.

“China actually has an urgent need for certain technical professionals, and those countries have plenty of them,” Li said. “It would be great if we could bring them in through a technical immigration pathway, yet we currently lack relevant policies.”