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Guangzhou –A step ahead in enticing global talent to Guangdong

“In recent years, Guangzhou has been strengthening the construction of innovative talent teams. In 2017, Guangzhou issued 3300 talent green cards. And 65 experts were newly enlisted in the so called Thousand Talents Plan. 21 cutting edge teams in innovation and start-up and 58 leading personnel were introduced. The city also announced support policies for high-end talents to offer better services on housing, medical care, schooling, spouse employment and innovation & entrepreneurship”, Wen Guohui, Mayor of Guangzhou, highlighted when delivering the governmental work report during the city's Legislative annual Session.

Innovation relies on talent. As the most essential resource for scientific and technological innovation and the main factor for enhancing competitiveness, talent has become a strategic support for the city’s future development.

Since last year, talent poaching has been heating up throughout the country. According to the governmental work report, so far Guangzhou has got the upper hand in the transition from "demographic bonus" to "talent bonus." According to the statistics, as at the end of October, 2017, Guangzhou had attracted 6 Nobel Prize winners and 77 academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering to work in the city (of which 35 are employed full time). 281 experts who are enlisted in "Thousand Talents Plan" and 95 experts who are enlisted in “Ten Thousand Talents plan” were introduced, respectively accounting for 53.2% and 79.2% of those currently in the province.

2017’s OCS successfully held in Guangzhou

Editor of Newsgd.com was trying virtual fitting room during the 2017 OCS

The2017 Convention on Exchange of Overseas Talents and the 19th Guangzhou Convention of Overseas Chinese Scholars in Science and Technology (OCS) was successfully held at the end of last year.

The two-day convention received an overwhelming response with more than 3,500 academics and professionals from overseas participating, around 63% of whom are doctor’s degree holders. Coming mainly from America, Canada, Britain, Australia among other countries, they made it the largest ever OCS. These talents brought 2,000 projects in a variety of areas including biomedicine, artificial intelligence, electronic information, new material, new energy and more.


Kapoks, the flower of the city of Guangzhou

More programs to lure top global talent

Guangzhou launched the Kapok Plan during the 2017 OCS. The newly-launched Kapok Plan will not only offer enterprises run by overseas talent a subsidy of up to a maximum of two million RMB, but also provide support for them in financing, intellectual protection, tax preference, and business start up.

In addition, the city will offer up to ten million RMB in housing subsidies to those at the highest level of qualification in their field including Nobel Laureates and academics.

In June, 2016, Guangzhou started the Green Card program for talents, helping non-local talents to gain local resident treatment.

In 2017, Guangzhou has further improved the application process for the convenience of applicants. Reforms including increasing the service window and upgrading its online application system will be undertaken. Furthermore, the city has also released a more detailed application guide, aiming to help streamline application procedures.

Related:

A guide to Guangzhou 2017 Talent Green Card


Implementing the new work permit system

In November 2016, Chinese government piloted a new work permit application system and Guangzhou is one of the cities chosen for the experiment.

Guangzhou has officially implemented the new work permit application system since April 1st, 2017. As one of its important measures in establishing Guangzhou as a national innovation centre and an international hub city, the new permit application aims to streamline the application process and provide better service.

Now Guangzhou has developed a unified electronic administration system, triggering a lifetime code for each foreigner working in China with their personal information stored. In addition, a “green channel” has been opened for high-end overseas talent.

Related:

How to earn high score for applying for new work permit?

A variety of recruitment activities held for overseas talents

At 2017’s OCS, a group of job fairs were held with 354 companies participating including Alibaba, Foxconn, HSBC, Siemens, Toshiba, Wal-Mart, AEON, HNA, China Unicom, China Southern Power Grid, Sony, Honeywell, JD.com, Sinopec Group and China Railway Group, bringing about 10,000 job positions.

One of the biggest highlights was online video recruitment. In addition to the main venue in Guangzhou, another two branch venues using video link were located in Singapore and Japan, attracting a total of over 100 top flight attendees. Statistics showed that the O2O platform has received around 10,000 job details posted by 335 enterprises and 33,000 cover letters.

More than 500 expats attend the special job fair targeting on overseas talents held in Guangzhou on Nov 19. [Photo/gz.gov.cn]

Last year, Guangzhou also held a job fair for foreign talents. Nearly 30 Chinese enterprises participated in the 2017 Job Fair, with the hope of finding potential foreign employees. Most of the enterprises are involved in education, electronic engineering, international trade, IT & animation, industrial design, biotechnology, health care management and marketing. Over 500 job seekers from about 20 countries visited the fair on the day.


On August 16, Zhou Yawei, the director of the Administrative Committee of the Guangzhou Development District (R) signed an MOU with Bruce W. Stillman (L), the Chief Executive Officer of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory at the United States. [Photo provided by the Guangzhou Development District]

Partnering with top research institute

This last year, Guangzhou made a big play in the field of biotechnology development. An MOU has been signed between the Guangzhou Development District and the world-renowned Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) to set up a new research institution, technology transfer center and fund for bio-pharmaceutical industry.

The cooperation with the world’s top medical research institute will doubtless help the city to attract world-leading biotechnology and research talents and investment.

According to statistics released by Guangzhou's Municipal Commission of Commerce, newly registered capital in Guangzhou from January to July this year has increased to 920 billion yuan ($138 billion), a year-on-year increase of 140 percent, with IAB investments reaching 1,000 billion yuan.

The city is seeing more and more large bio-pharmaceutical projects choose to locate within the Guangzhou Development District.

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