A new visa category launched by the Chinese government to attract young science and technology professionals is causing fervent backlash in China, where well-educated young people are already struggling to find work. The new “K-visa,” launched October 1, has been touted by Chinese officials as a boon for the country’s development – and widely seen as a part of Beijing’s bid to
gain an edge in its technology rivalry with the US as President Donald Trump pushes to slash federal funding for research and tightens restrictions on international students and workers.
But many voices across China have made clear they have a different view. Discussion of the K-visa category has dominated social media discussion in recent days, where top-trending hashtags related to the visa have reached roughly half a billion views in the space of two days.
Many voices pointed to deep-seated challenges faced by young jobseekers in China, where youth unemployment hovers close to 19% and a record 12.2 million new college graduates are competing for jobs in a tough economy.
