In 2013, the number of people moving from one country to another reached 232 million, and the average annual growth rate of such migration has averaged 2% for the last several years. The Annual Report on Chinese International Migration report summarizes the new characteristics and trends of Chinese international migration in 2012-2013. The Blue Book is divided into five sections: The General Report, Special Reports, Regional Reports, Emigration Service and Agency Reports, and Appendices.
The General Report reviews the changes and trends of Chinese overseas emigrants. Working into this discussion the general backdrop of of globalization, it examines the scale and distribution of Chinese migration. Based on a detailed analysis of the latest data, the report sets forth 10 notable features and 4 key trends with respect to Chinese emigrants in 2012. Based on this discussion, it then puts forward useful policy suggestions for overcoming the challenges of and exploiting the opportunities in Chinese international migration.
The Special Reports in the Blue Book discuss the shortcomings of the current Chinese exit and entry policy for foreigners and how they can be fixed. This part of the Blue Book discusses the makeup of the foreign expatriates living in China, including detailed case studies of groups like ethnic Chinese businessmen from Southeast Asia. Finally it reviews paths foreigners can take to securing residency in Hong Kong.
The Regional Reports review Chinese migration to different countries in 2012. These reports deal not just with the traditional immigration destinations—the United States, Canada and Australia—but is the first major research done on Chinese migration to Japan, Europe, and African.
Another set of reports deal with the activities of emigration service agencies in China. Given the large increase in Chinese going overseas, fraud on the part of these organizations has become a growing problem. The Blue Book analyzes the risk of fraud and regulations to deal with this issue. This section also has an assessment and ranking of 791 Chinese private migration agencies and a list of the top 30 migration agencies in 2013.
The Appendices of the Blue Book gather together the key events of Chinese migration during 2012, including an overview of important policy initiatives enacted in China and around the world.