One of the biggest changes of China’s recent opening up has been the number of Chinese returning home after time abroad. For years it was nearly impossible to live or study outside of the country, and those who did were unlikely to come home. In the 1980s and early 90s there was little economic incentive for those in Australia, Canada, or the US to return to the motherland.

Oh how times have changed. This year there were nearly 150,000 Chinese students studying abroad at the university and graduate level. These students represent a huge wealth of young people who will gain access to different cultures and social norms. The impact of this in the long-run should not be under-estimated. In combination with the huge influx of foreigners flooding the country (irrespective of the Olympics), Chinese are getting an increasingly better view of the world beyond their borders.

However, for Chinese who have lived abroad extensively, returning home can be an odd experience, leaving them unsure of where they stand. Many have become used to international norms in terms of public appropriateness and business, and are less than eager to join pushing mobs or turn a blind eye to disregard for IPR. As a result many Chinese view returning huaqiao (华侨) suspiciously and often harbor resentment. Too often Chinese believe that those who have spent time elsewhere look down on them.

For Chinese who come back to their county there is frequently an uneasy feeling. While abroad many continue to feel as if they are aliens in a foreign land. Yet upon return they are surprised to realize that they feel out of place in China as well. This can lead to a strange in-between land where they relate best to other Chinese who have also been abroad than they do with either foreigners or Chinese who have never left the country.

As this trend of Chinese studying abroad continues, and people become more open minded and aware of the outside world, it will be interesting to see if this dichotomy shows any signs of changing. As mentioned earlier, many more Chinese are returning, in part due to nationalistic pride that the government has effectively capitalized on, and in part as a result of the increasing opportunities here. Currently this may actually be increasing the gap between the two groups of Chinese. Many returnees receive larger salaries and often run divisions of companies, effectively being put in charge of their country mates. However this will probably be less prevalent in the future as local universities internationalize and increase their standards.

Whatever the future may bring, right now many Chinese coming back from abroad discover that an improving economy has not yet changed local mindsets.

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