Let's Move Back - Perspectives on the Current Trend to Return Home

By Luke Zhang

On the road of "Sea Return"

Since her reformation and opening up, China has sent nearly 400,000 students overseas who were government funded. This number is approximately three times the sum total of all government funded foreign students (130,000) over the last 100 years (1872 thru' 1978). This number does not include the much higher number of self-funded overseas students, and those who moved overseas through various means and obtained student status there.

Since 1978, the fervor to study abroad has sustaining power in many places in China, and it carried a particular attraction to students; so much so that people jokingly referred to the great Chinese institutions, such as University of Beijing and Ching-Hua University, as "prep. school for Western universities". The most favorable location for many college class reunions is not in China, but in the United States.

However, in the most recent ten years many who have chosen to study abroad have also chosen to return home. Among those who have decided to return were not just the 140,000 from the ranks of government-funded students, but included those who have spent much effort and exhausted their savings to come to study. From just observing at a distance, they have made the decision to return to their hometowns.

Recently this phenomenon has been given a fashionable name: "Sea Return". The Chinese characters sounded similar to that of sea turtle. When their number increases, they were called "Sea Returnees", as contrast to the "locals" (also called jokingly "local turtles").

The statistics indicates the growth of Sea Returnees is very rapid. In 1995 about 5,000 people returned; in 1996 it grew to 6,000, in 1997 to over 7,000, in 1998 to 7,400, and in 2002 that number became over 18,000.

The history of "Sea Return" in China

In recent Chinese history, there were 4 such Sea Return trends over the last 100 years. The first group was those who initiated the democratic revolution, toppled despotic rule, and established the republic; among them were Dr. Sun Yet-sen, his fellow revolutionaries, as well as those followed in their footsteps such as Zhou En-lai and Deng Ziou-ping.

The second wave of Sea Return appeared in the 30's and 40's of the last century. They were mostly employees of foreign companies and white-collar workers, and they made much contribution in many areas that fostered the transformation of Chinese society.

The third wave of Sea Return has helped in the development of nuclear research and nuclear weapons of new China.

The latest wave of Sea Return is the most numerous, involving most disciplines, and most diversified in their backgrounds. Their influence to China may not be immediately obvious, but without question, they will provide deep and lasting influence to China's future.

Initial search of today's Sea Return trend

Since 1993, the forth wave of Sea Return has became visible. The motivation of this return include the longings for the hometown; the broken American dream; the desire to help the motherland; etc. But more significant is the logical economic motivation and market consideration. There exists three temptations driving this wave of Sea Return: (1) to work in China at comparable or higher salary compared with the States; (2) to come back as an employee of an overseas company; (3) to come back to make money.

While most of the Sea Returnees worked in academia and scientific research, about 10,000 people chose to work on advanced technology development, finance, management, consulting, law, and human resource.

Recently it is poplar for the Sea Returnees to become entrepreneurs. Till today, the number of enterprises they established have reached 5,000 with an annual revenue of over $ 10 billion. Just in the city of Shanghai, there were over 1,000 companies established by the Sea Returnees.

In response to this trend, China established over 60 "Overseas Venture Enterprise Zone" in different cities to attract, direct and encourage this enterprising tendency. Many favorable policies were set up such as rent reduction, loan guarantee, ease of registration, public facilities, living allowances, etc. The purpose is to keep up the interest in such activities to foster this trend.

The Sea Returnees have been concentrated in several cities that are better developed, and in regions along Yang-tze River and Pearl River Delta near the coast. Based on an 2000 interview with 551 Sea Returnees from 13 enterprise zones, their educational backgrounds were as indicated in this table:

Foreign Countries: USA: 40.1%; Japan:22.5%; Australia: 5.8%; Germany: 5.3%; Canada: 4.0%; France: 3.8%; Great Britain: 1.8%; Others: 16.7%

Disciplines: Engineering: 52.5%; Science: 35.1%; Arts: 12.4%

Academic Degrees: Doctorate: 33.8%; Masters: 44.7%; Bachelors: 20.7%; Undecided: 0.6%

Residence Status: Reside in China: 44.3% Undecided: 55.7%

Compared with the rapid growth of China's economy, the continued economic downturn in Europe and America and its resulting massive lay-off has encouraged many accomplished scholars to pack up their baggage and join the ranks of the Sea Returnees. Soon reports with titles such as "Sea Returnees embarked on Chinese Silicon Valley"; "Sea Returnees entering Chinese stock market"; and "Sea Returnees occupying Chinese internet"; have become commonplace. Sea Returnees can be found in Chinese academic and business circles, and even in political circuits. Lung Wing-to, the leading delegate in Chinese WTO negotiations, and Zhou Ming-wei, Deputy Director of Taiwan Affairs, are oft-quoted well known representatives of Sea Returnees.

Difficulties of Sea Returners

Relative to the few who excelled and those who were successful, most Sea Returnees exhibit symptoms of mal-adjustment after they returned to their homeland. Some even showed signs of injury after they bumped into hard walls. The government's official explanation is that basically, "the returning scholars generally lack confidence, ability to open up inside and outside markets, ability to manage and control business, capital, co-ordination with related government departments, high technology venture activities, and co-ordination with related policies and ordinances". ( see "God's State Scholars" Year 2003, Issue 5, Analysis of Entrepreneurship of Current Returning Scholars.)

In addition, the Sea Returnees have to face the following issues:

1. Differences in living and work environments compared with overseas countries.

2. Adjustment in education for their children relative to overseas' standards.

3. Different work structure and non-democratic officials.

4. The general environment of emphasis on rule of man over rule of law

5. Complex human relations and general prevalence of corruption in society

6. The unique thought style of "Socialism with Chinese characteristics"

7. Threat from the growing dominance of local talents and the ruthless market competition

8. The local Chinese mind of envy and repulsion against "false Westerners"

9. General lack of security, and a continual struggle whether to stay or to leave.

Opportunities and Challenges of Sea Returnees

Among global economies, China enjoys a unique position of excellent growth with a market consisting of 1/5 of the total global population. As an ethnic Chinese we have inherent advantages, and it makes good sense to join the ranks of Sea Returnees. Many Sea Returnees have concluded, "We should have returned earlier (it was rare then), it would have been great if I was born twenty years later (now is the age of young people)". Nowadays, it is not easy for Sea Returnees to maintain a strong foothold among such serious competition. Chen Yi, a columnist for the Beijing Youth Journal, has analyzed the successful Sea Returnees and found they possess these common characteristics:

1. They have a natural and healthy state of mind.

2. They are talented and knowledgeable.

3. They are good at grabbing and creating opportunities.

4. They are adept at discovering differences and turn them into opportunities.

5. They are easily adaptable to their environments and surrounding culture, practical, and resistant to temptations.

6. They plan a long-term strategy.

The aura of Sea Returnees has gradually lost its glamour. It is reported that a company located in a technology zone in Beijing has been recruiting engineers at only Y 2,500 per month, and yet attracted 3 applicants with Masters degree from overseas institutions. The magazine Chinese recently reported 8 different ways of living for Sea Returnees in China, listed in the following:

1. Entrepreneurs - move the whole family back and found enterprises

2. Separate living - return alone to mainland China leaving the spouse and children overseas

3. Migratory bird - spend a period of time every year in mainland China to work or to teach

4. Returnee - employed by overseas companies as representatives to develop business in China

5. Determined - return to mainland China after completion of academic studies regardless of whether there are opportunities

6. Leave of absence without pay - kept their original positions in China and went overseas to study, hoping that after they return their career would have better advancement

7. Halfway returnee - return home halfway through their study before they acquire their degree, due to various causes and motivations

8. Spontaneous type - act at the spur of the moment, according to their feeling at the time. Today they return, tomorrow they may apply for exit visa

The Sea Returnees in the Bible

The Director of the magazine Overseas Campus, Edwin Su, has written about the Sea Returnees in the Old Testament (see Overseas Campus Special issue on Spiritual Growth, # 6):

Moses - recognized his heritage and return to save his country and his people

Nehemiah - gave up his high position to return home and built the city wall

Ezra - returned home to rebuild his people's spiritual welfare

Daniel - while well esteemed overseas his heart is in his homeland

Ezekiel - while exiled overseas he did not forget his vision of his homeland

Even in the New Testament, the Apostle Paul who would not forget his kinsmen, who would face Jerusalem even in chained bondage, clearly had the mind of a Sea Returnee. The verse "for I could wish that I myself were condemned and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my relatives according to the flesh (Romans 9:3)" has deeply touched many over thousands of years. The significance of this verse reverberates in history, as well as in the hearts of so many Sea Returnee Christians. To those of us Christians who lived many years overseas, it is both shocking and resonating.

The Sea Returnee Christians

Among the numerous Sea Returnees there are many Christians. Most of them have come to believe in Christ while studying overseas and have experienced edification and growth in churches. Now that they have decided to return home, it becomes a great opportunity for them to spread the gospel among their relatives, friends and colleagues.

Many Christians have realized that the greatest reward they possess from studying overseas is their Christian salvation and faith. To spread the good news has also become our personal goal and mission. Facing the largest gospel field in the world, and with the road God has opened up for us, how can we waste away and miss such excellent opportunities?

Among them are many Christians with vision and oriented by their mission, giving up their good salary and fine living conditions, and return home as tent-making or full time missionary. Their many moving stories can be found in Overseas Campus Special issue on Spiritual Growth # 7 and 8, interviews under the "On the road home" series.

It is my personal opinion and wish that this forth wave of Sea Return can bring Christ's salvation to our countrymen, and the Sea Returnees can serve and influence them with their lives and living. It would be a great blessing.

I wish that more and more of the overseas Christians will follow in the footsteps of the Sea Return pioneers in the Bible, and embrace saving souls as our mission. While this golden opportunity is present, let us return to the God's State to sow and preach.

The author came from Shanghai; currently he is Chinese Ministry Director of Sower's International