Chinese working overseas has become an important constituent part of China's outward bound co-operation and its "expand overseas" strategy. Up through the end of August, the cumulative number of trips undertaken by Chinese is 3.345 million, with currently 547,000 laborers working overseas.

The Ministry of Commerce recently released a report on the third quarter Chinese foreign trade development status. This year, through August, China completed labor outsourcing contracts in the amount of US$2.85 billion, increasing 31.6 percent over the same period last year. Since the beginning through this August, China's cumulative labor outsourcing contracts overseas reached US$33.67 billion.

At present, the Chinese that are being sent abroad go mostly to countries and regions such as Japan, Singapore, Korea, Macau, Hong Kong, Algeria, Russia, the Taiwan region, U.S., Mauritius, Jordan, Israel, and United Arab Emirates. They work mostly in the manufacturing, construction, forestry and fishing industries as well as the transportation and food catering industries. Some are high-skill workers engaged in design, consultation, management, science, education, culture, health, physical education and computer services.
 
(Chinanews.cn October 12, 2005)