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When expectations are high, disappointment can be deep. This is true for both employers and job seekers in China's expatriate employment market.

A recent job fair for expatriates held by the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs (SAFEA) revealed a growing discrepancy between the two parties, as China becomes a sought-after market for international talents.

The job fair, an annual event in Beijing since 2005, attracted about the same size crowd as last year - about 70 employers and 1,200 expatriate job seekers, said Li Hai, project manager of the Information Research Center of International Talent at SAFEA.

Nearly half the jobs offered were teaching positions in universities or English schools. Other positions included those in sales, marketing, copywriting, hospitality, IT and human resources, Li said. Compared with last year, there has been a decrease in the number of positions and variety.

Liu Linna, an official from the Human Resources Department at Beijing-based Tsinghua University, one of China's leading universities and research institutes, said they received about the same number of applicants for positions.

While the global downturn last year turned up a bumper crop of qualified applicants, this year there were fewer.

"We haven't found anyone suitable so far," Liu said. "That's quite a different story from last year, when within a few hours, we had found so many qualified candidates."

For job seekers, finding a match doesn't seem easier.

Alex Hatheway, a history major from the United States who has been learning Chinese for three years, thought he could land a job besides being an English teacher.

However, long gone is the day when Mandarin skills were enough to land a foreigner a job at a China-based company, who would then provide professional training. With strong competition from a growing number of Chinese with excellent English skills, especially recent overseas returnees, viable candidates now need both before applying.

Colin Friedman, managing director at China Expert International, said the job market for foreigners is shrinking in China. "It is becoming harder for international people to find suitable jobs in China, because there are more Chinese people with excellent English skills," he said.

The large pool of highly qualified international talent available has also driven up Chinese employers' expectations, Friedman said.

According to the latest report from the National Bureau of Statistics, about 217,000 foreigners held work permits in China at the end of 2008, an increase of 7,000 from the previous year.

Questions:

1. How many people attend the annual expat job fair in Beijing?

2. What kind of jobs can foreigners get in China?

3. Who organizes the job fair?

Answers:

1. About 70 employers and 1,200 expatriate job seekers.

2. Nearly half the jobs offered were teaching positions in universities or English schools. Other positions included those in sales, marketing, copywriting, hospitality, IT and human resources.

3. The State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs (SAFEA).

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（中国日报网英语点津 Helen 编辑）

About the broadcaster:

Nelly Min is an editor at China Daily with more than 10 years of experience as a newspaper editor and photographer. She has worked at major newspapers in the U.S., including the Los Angeles Times and the Detroit Free Press. She is fluent in Korean and has a 2-year-old son.