SIGNATURE WORK
CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION 2024

Since 1978, China has been opening up to the outside world. Bringing foreigners into the country to study and work high-skilled jobs has been a prominent part of this reform and continues to be an important part of China’s general economic strategy. Once a country that severely restricted the presence of foreigners, China has relaxed laws over time and allowed greater rights and accessibility for foreign residents. However, foreigners coming to China still face restrictions which have not been fully documented. This research project aims to determine what these restrictions are, and how they act as barriers to China’s goals for inviting foreign students and workers. Through semi-structured interviews with foreigners living in China, I found that foreigners faced important barriers with regards to visas, finances, residence, and travel within the country. Based on the analysis, this paper targets key areas for improvement and puts forth recommendations to allow greater mobility for foreigners to and in China within these areas.