Opinion | As Chinese graduates opt for government posts, what of the private sector?

However, as the Chinese saying goes, “thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river”. In other words, fortunes can change dramatically over time. In an ironic twist, legal- and politics-related majors have now become favoured choices for prospective college students.

This category of majors is quite broad, encompassing distinct fields including law, public security, international politics and even ideological and political education.

How popular are these majors? China University Rankings recently released the 2024 rankings of the most searched majors during the college entrance examination period. Law ranked first, while international economics and trade now rank 44th.

Meanwhile, the popularity of police academies has also increased. In both Heilongjiang province and Shanghai, nearly 10 per cent of college applicants are vying for spots in these institutions. Perhaps more tellingly, many high-scoring students, despite qualifying for elite universities, are opting instead for police academies.

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‘Let it rot’: surviving China’s high unemployment and cost of living

‘Let it rot’: surviving China’s high unemployment and cost of living

A former classmate of mine, who recently retired as a court judge, now receives a monthly pension of around US$3,000 – a stark contrast in a nation where one report suggests that nearly 1 billion people subsist on less than US$300 per month. Equally significant is the expansion of the public sector over the past years.

Research conducted by Ma Yingyi of Syracuse University suggests that recruitment through the Chinese national civil service exam soared by 173 per cent over the past five years. Provincial service recruitment rose by nearly 55 per cent in the same period.

The gravitation of college graduates towards public sector careers illuminates the growing popularity of legal majors. Graduates majoring in these fields might enjoy a distinct edge in civil service recruitment, benefiting from a higher quota of available positions.

This trend in China mirrors patterns observed in other developing economies, such as India and Egypt. This pivot is quite recent and pronounced in China, reflecting acute economic uncertainties and evolving social values.

As China’s talent pool increasingly gravitates towards the public sector, it might lead to a shortage of skilled professionals in the private sector, potentially stunting business growth and innovation.

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Several students killed during protests against civil service job quotas in Bangladesh

Several students killed during protests against civil service job quotas in Bangladesh

Lastly, overstaffing risks bureaucratic bloat and reduced government efficiency. The influx of legal graduates into the bureaucracy could institutionalise a security-oriented policy structure, potentially nudging China towards a more repressive state.

Yanzhong Huang is a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations, and a professor at the School of Diplomacy and International Relations, Seton Hall University