The environment you are describing is 'developing world', especially when it wants to play the catch up game. It can only get worse because they soon find out catching-up is a lot more difficult than they imagined. As a Chinese I don't want to work in Chinese companies, but I do understand why they do it.
Eh in sweden I got asked to do unpaid overtime and the CTO refused to write me a recommendation letter since I had refused to do the (completely illegal) unpaid overtime.
They were hiring mostly young immigrants because they are more pliable to this sort of things.
Was it even legal to ask for unpaid overtime in Sweden?
Unfortunately that's the reality. Young immigrants feel insecure in the country and would grab and hold on anything can keep them afloat above the water level. People make different decisions based on their circumstances. It is not going to change a lot.
