China is facing a crisis in the recruitment of teachers from overseas. An imbalance between supply and demand means the country will need thousands of foreign teachers this year, but many of the expats seeking work are unwilling to become teachers. At least 4,000 foreign teachers will be needed in the 2015-16 academic year, according to Niu Chen, Co-founder of CCZChina Education Co, an agency in Zhengzhou, Henan province that recruits foreign teachers. “The statistics are incomplete, so the actual demand may be even greater,” Niu told China Daily at a Conference on the International Exchange of Professionals in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. The situation has been exacerbated because some provinces and regions have raised the bar for the recruitment of teachers from overseas. The Beijing government released a series of regulations in September to strengthen the management of foreign teachers, stipulating that foreigners who want to teach in China should have at least five years experience, and that those wishing to teach languages should have “Teaching English as a Foreign Language” or “Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages” certificates.