China seeks to leverage overseas diaspora to combat aging population

China is intensifying efforts to leverage its massive overseas diaspora to combat domestic demographic challenges, including a shrinking workforce and a rapidly aging population. President Xi Jinping has called upon Chinese citizens living abroad, as well as those who have already returned, to utilize their international expertise, capital, and connections to contribute to national development and revitalization.

This strategy aims to transform decades of “brain drain” into a “brain gain.” Since the 1990s, the government has implemented policies to encourage students and professionals trained in the United States, Europe, and other developed nations to return. To facilitate this, China has established science parks, special economic zones, and institutional support through the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council.

The urgency is driven by critical demographic shifts. With approximately 23% of the population aged 60 or older and birth rates declining, China faces a shrinking labor pool. The government seeks to use the skills and global networks of the estimated 60 million Chinese citizens living abroad to drive new sources of economic growth.