Unusual area turns hot in civil service exam competition
Millions of Chinese this week have been scrambling to apply to take China's annual civil service exam, dubbed one of the most grueling exams in the country, with the most popular position on offer being the China Family Planning Association (CFPA).
The exam has long been known for the fierce competition, with only around 2 percent of the applicants getting a guaranteed job with a stable income and status.
To show just how fierce that competition is, the International Cooperation Department of the CFPA, which has only one vacancy, received over 1,300 applications as of Tuesday, according to huatu.com, a private education site.
According to the State Civil Service Administration, about 120 central government offices and agencies are looking for 28,000 people this year. And, as of Wednesday afternoon, there were about 1.19 million people applying for them.
"We welcome candidates with a firm political stance, strong sense of discipline, a mastery of words, and foreign language skills to join us," the CFPA told the Global Times on Wednesday, after learning how great the interest was.
The CFPA's International Cooperation Department deals mainly with contacting and coordinating activities with other international family planning organizations, as well as publicity, management of international projects and reproductive health consultations, according to a CFPA statement sent to the Global Times on Wednesday.
The CFPA was established in 1980 and since that time has actively promoted family planning in China, with some great achievements, and has cooperated with family planning organizations in 50 countries and regions.
More recently, it has aided countries along the Belt and Road initiative's route involving contraceptive control, the statement said.
China has gradually eased its family planning policy and has allowed all couples to have a second child since 2016, nonetheless, family planning work in China cannot be relaxed, according to Wang Peian, deputy head of the National Health and Family Planning Commission.
Wang told a press conference back in 2015 that the family planning work after the policy was eased would be even heavier and would involve higher standards, the National Business Daily reported.
Zhi Zhenfeng, of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that the popularity of that CFPA position was probably caused by the application platform's setting. That's because the applicants would apply for positions that have fewer requirements when they did not know about the popularity of a position before submitting their application.
The CFPA position had no restrictions related to an applicant's major.
"But applicants' choices also showed the popularity of the civil service exam. With the growing number of new graduates each year and limited employment opportunities, the exam could offer more opportunities," Zhi said.
Last year, about 1.48 million people applied for about 27,000 vacancies in at least 120 central government departments and agencies. The number of applicants reached a peak in 2013 when it hit 1.52 million, but then gradually dropped over the next few years.
Applications were being accepted until Wednesday, with the exam set to take place in major Chinese cities on December 10, according to huatu.com.
