Attracting Foreign Talents: China becomes a hotspot for global talents

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03:21

2018 marks the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening up. Statistics show that over the past four decades, more than a million foreign workers have come to China to contribute their talents in one way or another. As China opens up wider to the rest of the world, it has grown into a hot destination for foreign talents to work and live. Liu Xinqing has more.

Just a few years ago, 35-year-old Marco Banfi would have never imagined that he'd move halfway around the world and settle in China.

MARCO BANFI, MANAGER WUHAN HIRUN ENGINEERING EQUIPMENT "The opportunity came nearly five years ago. I decided to accept the proposal because it was a great challenge for my career and it's also a personal challenge to my life because I moved everything and came here to China."

Marco is an Italian engineer specializing in the field of bridge bearings and anti-seismic technology. He's part of an expert team providing technical advice to Wuhan HIRUN Engineering Equipment Co., Ltd. It is a high- tech state-owned company dedicated to bridge bearings and anti-seismic products.

MARCO BANFI, MANAGER WUHAN HIRUN ENGINEERING EQUIPMENT "In the last four years, I think we have made a lot of good achievements, because we have developed into a group of more than 20 people, capable of designing from zero to and any kind of devices and technical solutions for bridges or seismic resolution devices."

Like HIRUN, China has many more high and new-tech companies trying to move up the value chain, mainly by ratcheting up research and development. Introducing foreign talents could be an efficient way of promoting technology exchanges and boosting innovation.

LIU XINQING WUHAN, HUBEI PROVINCE "China's economy started taking off four decades ago when it first adopted the reform and opening up policy. And talented workers, both here and abroad are key to driving this process. As China opens up even more to the outside world today, it's welcoming more foreign talents to embrace some enormous opportunities here."

It's a two-way street, and a win-win situation. China's economic growth provides opportunities for foreign talents to settle down, and the contributions of these foreign talents help drive China's technological progress. That's why related authorities are working hard to keep attracting more of those talents.

GAO ZHIJUN WUHAN ADMINISTRATION OF FOREIGN EXPERTS AFFAIRS "Wuhan has put in place a lot of measures to attract foreign talents. For example, we take measures to improve the working environment for high -end foreign talents through various means and also enact favorable policies to enterprises which employ these kinds of talents."

Marco found his love a few years ago in Wuhan and is now married with a one-year-old son. For him, China has become his second home, a place where dreams come true.

MARCO BANFI, MANAGER WUHAN HIRUN ENGINEERING EQUIPMENT "I came here with a lot of hope. Now somehow I hope I find success either from the working point of view or from the personal point of view. If the opportunity will be here, I would like to stay here longer."

China is now undergoing a new round of economic transformation and technology upgrading, a trend that opens up more grounds for foreign experts of all fields to come and showcase their talents. Liu Xinqing, CGTN, Wuhan, Hubei Province.