Site Selection: Evolving Demographics: Shanghai

The “China economic miracle” started to take shape in the early 1980s, but Shanghai has long been an iconic place that marks the economic achievements of this country even before the “reform and opening” era. Shanghai is an economic hub to fuel China’s economic development. At the same time, it is also a cultural hub that represents diversity and openness, which contains significant implications for the studies of China’s demographics.

Some statistics and facts: ​​There are 25 million residents in Shanghai, and at least a quarter of that population consists of migrants from all over China. The city has been offering attractive policies toward talents from other cities and countries: foreigners who work in the science and technology sector will be granted a 10-year residence card; foreigners with a master’s degree from a local university and work in its Free Trade Zone will be given work permit upon graduation. It has also loosened its household registration system (hu-kou). In the summer of 2022, it granted permits (hukou) to non-locals who graduated from the world's top 50 universities and work in the city without requirements on the amount of social security paid beforehand (State Council, PRC).

We choose Shanghai because it is not only an amazing place that undergoes changes and evolutions but also a place that closely connects with the world. Shanghai not only connects with international society through its advanced financial and economic system but also through the society of the city itself. The buildings, city planning; the people walking along the street; and the various sites for entertainment and work all encompass diversity and vibrance.