Attitudinal and Behavioral Traits of Contemporary Chinese Returnees

Abstract

The term “overseas returnee” is rather a foreign concept in the USA, Europe and other developed countries because the cross-border movement of skilled labor in these countries is by no means unusual and it is normal for young people to study abroad and then return to their motherland. In a speech at the 4th Western Returnees Beijing Forum 2007, Yang Zhuang, dean of Beijing International MBA and associate professor at the Fordham University Business School, argued that the term “overseas returnee” would disappear within 20 years. In an interview with China Economic Weekly, David Zweig, director of the Center on China’s Transnational Relations at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, also stated that overseas returnees are a special group that only exists during a specific period of time, when countries are undergoing economic development and have a greater need for skilled workers.