China’s bid to lure overseas tech talent home hits a wall

• China hopes to lure talent home amid a tech war with the US, but workers are being deterred by a worse work-life balance and more stressful workplaces
• A 40-hour working week is still a distant dream for many tech workers in China, whom – at the same time – are considered old as soon as they reach age 35

 

After being caught up in a mass lay-off at Amazon in January, Canada-based software engineer Mark Liu boarded a flight back to his hometown in central China.

The 30-year-old decided to take a rest at home and spend some time with his parents and grandparents, while preparing to look for a new job. But he will not be looking in China.

Liu is still seeking opportunities in Canada, even though the current wave of tech lay-offs there shows no sign of ending.