"While India remains a tough place to live, China has become more comfortable in recent years, ranking as the No. 1 country for expatriates in an HSBC survey," it says.

Even those Chinese executives who move away to escape pollution and a slowing economy are more likely to land in Hong Kong or Singapore than get real international experience in markets such as Southeast Asia or Latin America, the Journal said.

"Fewer than 10 per cent of Chinese job candidates on average would be suitable for work in a foreign company because of their poor command of English and an education system that focuses on theory rather than practical skills," it said citing a report by consulting firm McKinsey & Co.

But as China suffers from a shortage of top talent, despite its enormous pool of university graduates, with 7.3 million more expected in 2014, the Journal said state-owned enterprises and private companies are bidding for home-grown talent.

Thus "western companies aren't always the employer of choice in China anymore", it says. "With so much attention lavished on the most promising executives in China, many feel their opportunities are greater at home than abroad."
READ MORE:
8 Tech Jobs That Are On The Rise
5 Offbeat Jobs That Pay Surprisingly Well