Hiring foreigners, generally from western countries like the United States and Canada, has become a common practice for companies in China. These companies believe that having a Caucasian face to put at the front of their business can make the company look more successful and globally important. Over 900,000 foreigners worked in China in 2016, compared to just 10,000 foreigners working in China in the 1980s. One woman from New Jersey found work after she saw a part-time job posting for a foreigner with Chinese language skills. She was chosen for the job, which involved going with the company’s director to client dinners. She is paid $145 for each weekly dinner, and her business card lists her title as “Assistant to the Director.”
While this new practice has helped many foreigners without the proper skills find work in China, some professionals who have been in the business world for decades are not happy with it. They feel that the foreigners who come in and take over roles for the sake of the company looking diverse are irritating and damaging to the company. Some believe that it is deceitful and dishonest to businesses the companies deal with, and it also brings up the issue of cultural identity. However, the companies have found that hiring Caucasian employees—or employees with Western surnames—has helped with business relations.