Returned students flock to western China
( 2002-04-08 16:35 ) (8 )

China's strategy of speeding up the development of its western part has transformed the Shaanxi city of Xi'an into a magnet for returned students to start their careers.

Jing Junhai, vice-director of the city's high-tech development zone administration, said that the zone has already had 120 enterprises established by students who have returned from overseas.

So far, as many as 400 returned students are working in the zone as bosses or employees.

Yang Yanzheng, a computing master degree holder who returned from Canada and set up three high-tech companies in the zone, said, "I believe returned overseas student will help the country build more international enterprises."

Jing said the returned students have brought back new management ideas, advanced technologies and new marketing strategies, making their enterprises dynamic and profitable and influencing other local enterprises to change.

In 1998, the city set up the special zone in which the local government offered preferential policies to encourage the returned students to start up businesses.