Controversial statement on recruitment by China's "business queen"
Dong Mingzhu, an icon in China's business world, has sparked heated debate after announcing that her company would avoid hiring executives who studied abroad due to concerns that they could be spies, while expressing a preference for "domestic" talent.
Speaking at a shareholders meeting, the chairwoman of Gree Electric Appliances stressed her commitment to developing leaders from domestic universities and expressed concerns that those studying abroad could pose a security risk.
Although the statement was not initially intended to be made public, a leaked video has attracted attention, highlighting increasingly divided views in China about the role of overseas talent.
Speaking to shareholders on April 22, Dong Mingzhou - known as China's "home appliance queen" or "iron lady" - affirmed that the company will "never employ haigui pai", meaning people who have studied or worked abroad.
In Chinese, "haigui" refers to people who have returned from studying or working abroad, while the word "pai" is not entirely clear, and can refer to the group of international students themselves or those who support them in recruiting.
Arguing that "it is difficult to distinguish who is a spy and who is not", Dong Minh Chau said she could only be cautious and recruit domestic students.
Some articles noted that Ms. Dong mainly referred to future leadership positions, not to all personnel.
Dong Mingzhu has made similar statements before. In a 2022 interview with South Reviews , she said that Gree had more than 10,000 research and development staff, all of whom graduated from Chinese universities. At the time, she said that this reflected the company’s culture and that “people have the freedom to choose.” This time, however, she was more direct in pointing out the connection to security issues.
Mixed reactions in public opinion
Dong Mingzhu's statement quickly sparked controversy among Chinese public opinion. Some people strongly criticized her and announced that they would boycott Gree products.
Yang Rui, a popular TV host, warned that amid rising US-China tensions, such remarks would make young students and scientists studying abroad feel discouraged.
An editorial in the Beijing Daily on April 23 also stated: “Such statements, coming from an influential businessman, will certainly deepen the stigma against haigui groups. These prejudices need to be corrected in a timely manner.”
However, some people expressed support for Dong Mingzhou. Jiang Ligang, a technology expert and director of the Beijing Information Consumer Association, said the public should consider the reasons behind her statement.
In a video posted on social media on April 24, Mr. Jiang said that Ms. Dong Minh Chau was trying to explain her management philosophy to shareholders: “Finding excellent talent, especially at low cost, is the goal of the enterprise, and no one has the right to interfere.”
According to SCMP , he also argued that, unlike previous generations of international students such as Qian Xuesen - the father of China's aerospace industry - who made great contributions, today, not many international students really stand out. According to him, Chinese students are no longer well-trained in fields such as manufacturing, design, marketing services or logistics abroad, because "the best companies are now in China".
Beijing has previously warned international students about the risk of being targeted by foreign spies. Last February, China’s Ministry of State Security said there had been cases of sensitive information being leaked about international students.
Amid rising geopolitical tensions and security concerns, some Chinese government agencies have also tightened hiring criteria for candidates with foreign degrees for key positions.
National policy still values talented people studying abroad
Although some businesses and localities tend to be more reserved, observers affirm that China's policy towards returning students remains unchanged.
“China’s top leaders still highly value overseas talent and place great trust in them,” said a Beijing-based scholar who has been tracking international students for the past decade.
He also said that many businesses and local governments are actively issuing policies to attract talented people to return, expecting them to play an active role in socio-economic development.
In early December last year, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of China and nine other ministries and departments issued opinions on improving services for overseas students returning home, aiming to attract more human resources for the fields of work, entrepreneurship and national service.
Last month, in a series of recruitment announcements, several agencies within the Chinese military system - including the Academy of Military Science, the Army and the Navy - announced for the first time that they would consider recruiting officers who graduated from top universities outside China.
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/nu-doanh-nhan-tuyen-bo-khong-tuyen-nguoi-du-hoc-ve-ly-do-gay-tranh-cai-2395483.html
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