China's International Migration from 1990 to 2020: A Panel Comparison Between Immigration and Emigration

Abstract

China's international migration, accompanying and driving the globalization, has become increasingly important owing to its growing numbers and expanding impact. Given the diversity of international migrants and the complexity of their motivations, this article employs the meta-theoretical framework with estimated data on 5-year bilateral migration flows from 1990 to 2020. This article presents the evolving pattern of China's international migration, compares its immigration and emigration, and identifies their influential factors. China's international migration is growing comparably fast in the world with respect to number and proportion, with deceleration on net emigrant rate. China's international migration is spatially heterogeneous, experiencing declining long-lasting favorable bidirectional connection with Asian countries and increasing preferences for more developed Western countries. Small countries with historical Chinese diaspora communities maintain intensive migration links with China. The numbers of immigrants and emigrants are highly positively correlated owing to their similar influence of economic, development, cultural, religious, or political factors. Apart from the profound similarities, immigration is more influenced by cultural and religious factors and less by economic and development conditions than emigration. The impact of these factors evolves as China continues to develop. Economic and development factors become influential in both directions of migration, but the importance of cultural and religious similarity with China declines.