SHENZHEN — South China's metropolis of Shenzhen, a technological powerhouse, saw 27,000 returned overseas Chinese students settle down locally last year, an increase of over 30 percent year-on-year and marking a record high, according to the municipal human resources and social security bureau.

The city, home to a bevy of Chinese startups and tech heavyweights, including Huawei and Tencent, is an attractive choice for job seekers because of its fast developing industries such as software and information technology services, finance, education and manufacturing.

In 2021, the returned overseas Chinese students, who gained residency in Shenzhen, had graduated from universities in nearly 60 countries and regions around the world. The average age of the cohort is about 27 years old, with over 95 percent aged under 35 and over 80 percent having a master's degree or higher education background.

Ma Shaohui, 24, one of the new residents, said he was employed by a high-end manufacturing enterprise in Shenzhen, which met his job expectations.

"I also had job opportunities in several other cities, but Shenzhen won with its sound entrepreneurial environment," said the young graduate from the National University of Singapore.

His schoolmates working in Shenzhen told him the city is friendly to newcomers, which he found to be true through his experience of settling down, getting a new ID card, and applying for talent subsidies.