China – Increasing numbers of foreigners are making their way in

China’s place in the global migration order has been transformed by three decades of rapid economic development. Policies to reform and open the country initiated in 1978 accelerated Chinese emigration and internal migration towards the industrialized coast. While these flows remain important, another trend has gained momentum: Increasing numbers of foreigners are making their way to China.

Migration to China is exceptionally diverse. With a robust economy, welcoming universities, and low living costs, the country attracts people from all parts of the world. Relatively lenient visa policies have allowed entry to migrants from a range of backgrounds. The passage of new legislation in 2012, however, marked a step towards stricter immigration control.

Rising Entries Prompt Reform

For nearly three decades, migration to China was regulated by the 1985 Law of Administration of Entrance and Exit of Foreigners (Waiguoren Rujing Chujing Guanli Fa). Though largely known as a country of emigration, since the law’s enactment, there has been a 35-fold increase in the number of foreign entries (long- and short-term) into China, including rising numbers of tourists, students, and business travelers. There were approximately 594,000 immigrants living in China in 2010, according to the national census carried out that year, the first to record the number of resident immigrants. The top five countries of origin were the Republic of Korea (ROK), the United States, Japan, Burma, and Vietnam. Even as immigration is rising, immigrants represent a tiny fraction of the country’s population of 1.35 billion.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story at Destination China: The Country Adjusts to its New Migration Reality | migrationpolicy.org.