China marked its National Day on Wednesday (October 1), with official messages from the ruling Communist Party and President Xi Jinping. It was on this day in 1949 that the People’s Republic of China was established as a communist nation, and the occasion saw the reiteration of some prominent themes, including “national rejuvenation”.

On the same day, China unveiled a new category of visas for students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields, intended to ease the pathway for job seekers. While the timing may have been coincidental, with the United States’ recently imposed high price tags on its H-1B visas, it comes as several high-profile figures in STEM have returned to China from abroad. A few media reports also indicated some domestic discontent over the move.

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