Guangzhou: a top choice for overseas returnees

The southern Chinese city of Guangzhou ranks at the second most popular destination for Chinese returning from overseas study, according to statistics released by Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of China.

As of 2016, 2.65 million Chinese students returned to their mother country. And in 2016, altogether 432,500 students returned, reaching a new record of annual returned students.

When asked which cities the students were returning to, 35.15 percent responded Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, or Shenzhen. Shanghai ranked top with 11.96 percent, closely followed by Guangzhou at 7.88 percent.

The Guangdong capital has seen an increasing number of overseas returnees, up 30 percent in the last five years.

As of now, there are over 60,000 overseas returned students working in Guangzhou, with over 2,000 enterprises in the city launched by returned students.

"Guangzhou's talent resources plus returning of overseas students has accelerated the city's research and technology development," said Hou Hongming, deputy director of the Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

To help improve overseas returned students' living and working conditions, the Guangzhou municipal government has launched a special fund. The fund will also be used in supporting overseas returned students with lectures and academic exchange activities.

In addition, Guangzhou has made efforts in expanding its international communication platform by holding exchange conferences. Last year, the Convention on Exchange of Overseas Talents was held in Guangzhou, attracting over 3,300 overseas talents and more than 1,000 science and technology projects.