China Daily Global Edition (USA)
Cooperation with neighboring region in bid to recruit international talent
After 12 years of development, Qianhai in Shenzhen has boosted cooperation with the bordering Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government and international institutes to attract talents from around the world.
It aims to be the top choice for international talents to invest and work in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, according to the Shenzhen-Hong Kong talent annual meeting held in Qianhai on Nov 6.
The Qianhai authority and the Hong Kong SAR government announced a joint effort in the meeting to attract international talents. They will do this by initiating talent attraction activities, including policy promotion, roundtable talks and talent salons, in 2023. Experts in different fields and corporate executives will be invited to attend.
The move is expected to strengthen the exchange of the professionals between Shenzhen and Hong Kong and solicit international talents.
Qianhai also signed agreements with an additional nine transnational corporations to be its international talent partners this year, bringing the total number to 15. They include Elsevier, the world’s largest academic publisher; top-notch consultancy companies such as Boston Consulting, Accenture and Gartner; as well as world-leading headhunting companies, accounting firms and human resources advisers.
The Qianhai authority has carried out 110 events to attract investment and talent with its first six partners over the past year, serving more than 5,000 companies and roughly 600,000 professionals.
The authority plans to raise the number of international talent partners to 100 by the end of 2025 and jointly sponsor no less than 100 such events annually.
They have also proved to be effective methods to better lure the gathering of important companies and quality talents in Qianhai, according to the authority.
Qianhai has been serving as a demonstration zone for modern service industry cooperation between Guangdong province and Hong Kong since August 2010.
The area of the zone was expanded from 14.92 square kilometers, which was all reclaimed land, to 120.56 sq km upon a plan proposed by the State Council in September 2021 to comprehensively deepen the reform and opening-up of the zone.
After its expansion, Qianhai covers the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center and Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport.
It has earned a reputation in the global community for spearheading efforts to keep in line with global practices, which has attracted an increasing number of international talents, especially those from neighboring Hong Kong.
According to the talent policy of Qianhai, a team that introduces high-end talents could enjoy an annual reward of up to 20 million yuan ($2.76 million). Its core members could be given a reward of no higher than 2 million yuan every year.
The most important talents and scientific platforms in strategic industries will also be granted tailormade policies and services, according to the authority.
Official statistics showed the number of high-end talents identified by the Qianhai authority this year more than doubled that of 2021.