Why Technical Staff Are Often Displaced in Chinese Companies

I have a friend who worked at a company for seven years as a core R&D member, but after the company was acquired he was forced out.

Why are tech people often kicked out? In China, most companies consider the technical work they need as replaceable by anyone.

Recruitment platforms show that the most posted positions are for small companies in non‑IT sectors (education, real estate, finance, etc.) that simply use computing to “enable” their business.

The four most common roles are Front‑end Development, Back‑end Development (CRUD), WeChat Mini‑program Development, and APP Development, covering the IT needs of most sub‑100‑employee firms and the bulk of training institute curricula.

Adding the upstream/downstream roles gives Product Manager, Tester, and Operations, forming a complete small‑company IT team.

None of these positions is indispensable; if a boss loses any of them, the company can still run.

In early startups, a few people with any computer skills are valuable because hiring externally is hard; they become “talent”.

When the company scales and can afford better talent, a person who only knows basic coding becomes a liability and is likely to be let go.

Decades ago, programming required deep knowledge of C, data structures, OS, networks, even assembly; now abundant languages, frameworks, and low‑code tools lower the barrier, turning programmers into “brick‑movers”.

Large firms also rely mostly on generic front‑end, back‑end, and client development; only a few roles involve high‑level data, algorithms, or security.

Even those higher‑tech roles are replaceable in the current competitive, “involution”‑driven market.

With frequent layoffs at big companies, aging tech workers risk losing their only advantage, leaving them with just a mortgage.

The outlook may seem pessimistic, but recognizing the risk early and preparing is better than being blindsided by a sudden layoff.