China woos foreign tech talent, fanning its graduates’ unemployment fears

As the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown narrows paths to entry for foreign science and technology workers, China is opening its doors wider — and drawing backlash from the public.

HONG KONG — As the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown narrows paths to entry for foreign science and technology workers, China is opening its doors wider — and drawing backlash from the public.

The new “K visa,” which launched Oct. 1, aims to make it easier for the world’s top young talents in science and technology to live and work longer in China as it vies with the United States for global dominance in the fields.

The new category requires no job offer, with the only requirements being an as-yet-unspecified age cap and having at least a bachelor’s degree in science, technology, engineering or math from a top Chinese or foreign university, or relevant teaching or research experience there.

Though many of the details have yet to be announced, the new Chinese visa program is already drawing interest in India, where China is seen as an increasingly appealing destination amid warming relations and the Trump administration’s surprise announcement last month that it is raising the fee for the equivalent H-1B worker visa to $100,000.

Beijing’s talent-friendly move could also give it a boost amid continuing trade tensions and tech rivalries with Washington, which has imposed export controls on chips and other advanced technology that are spurring China to develop its own.