Japan and the US have become the favored destinations for Taiwanese graduates as China’s attraction has waned over the years, the Ministry of Labor said.
According to the ministry’s latest income and employment advisory published this month, 3,215 Taiwanese university graduates from the class of 2020 went to Japan, surpassing for the first time the 2,881 graduates who went to China.
A total of 2,300 graduates from the class of 2021 went to the US, compared with the 2,262 who went to China, the document showed.
Photo: Chen Hsin-yu, Taipei Times
The trend continued for the class of 2023, of whom 1,460 went to Japan, 1,334 went to the US and 942 went to China, the data showed.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) was for the past two years the fourth-most favored destination for Taiwanese graduates, topping South Korea, Australia and Singapore, the document showed.
The UAE’s early investment in artificial intelligence-related fields is the main reason behind the appeal of the Middle Eastern kingdom to Taiwanese pursuing studies abroad, a ministry official said on condition of anonymity.
The UAE has poured in investments in its pursuit to become a global tech leader and has been recruiting Taiwanese students via cooperative programs with local universities, the official said.
China’s main attraction to Taiwanese graduates was the employment opportunities offered by a growing economy and a common language, the official said.
In addition, young Taiwanese studying or starting businesses in China could receive various subsidies as part of Beijing’s Taiwan affairs policy to influence the nation’s politics, they said.
However, the lure of Chinese jobs has dimmed considerably as Taiwanese and international investors leave China amid the US-China trade dispute, the official said.
Beijing’s touted preferential treatment of Taiwanese seeking to work or start a businesses in China cannot compensate for these negative conditions, the official said.
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