Shenzhen attracts Taiwan youth

Young people from Taiwan province are increasingly interested in working or setting up their own businesses in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, as preferential policies for the island's residents offer great opportunities for them to develop their career on the Chinese mainland.

At Seg Maker Space in Shenzhen's Huangqiang North, an area known as the country's largest electronic marketplace, entrepreneur Joe Lee spoke to China Daily about why he moved his company from Taiwan to Shenzhen.

Lee's company, GrassWonder Inc, develops chips that can track facial movement. So far, the technology has been applied in more than 20 products. Over 100,000 of these chips are sold each month.

"Shenzhen has a strong supply chain, especially in Huangqiang North. You can get all the components here easily," Lee said.

"In Shenzhen, we are able to save 75 percent of our cost in manufacturing, compared with that in Taiwan."

The company has more than 20 employees at present and over one-third are from Taiwan.

Wang Shanxiu moved from Taiwan to Shenzhen two months ago, running a startup that focuses on e-sports training.

"The pace of life and work in Shenzhen is quicker than that in Taiwan. This kind of environment pushes me to make faster progress. When you adapt yourself to Shenzhen speed, you will become stronger than others," he said.

The Chinese mainland introduced 31 preferential policies for Taiwan in February to enhance economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation across the Taiwan Straits, and improve livelihoods for people in Taiwan. According to the policies, Taiwan residents will gradually be granted equal treatment when it comes to studying, working, starting business ventures and living on the Chinese mainland.

Government statistics show that more than 50,000 people from Taiwan are working or living in Shenzhen. A total of 220 Taiwan students took summer internships in Shenzhen last year, the largest number to date.

"The Chinese mainland has a vast market and there are a lot of job opportunities here," Wu Nichen, a postgraduate student at National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, said.

Wu has a one-month marketing internship at a technology company in Shenzhen. Of the 15 students in Wu's class, more than a half are doing internship on the Chinese mainland, she said.

"Space for career development is the most important factor I consider when choosing where to work. With such a large number of outstanding companies, the Chinese mainland is a place where I would like to work after graduation," Wu said.

Meanwhile, Shenzhen is also encouraging Taiwan-funded enterprises to set up regional headquarters or research and development and design centers in the city.