Hangzhou conference highlights international human resources

Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, and Chengdu are the five Chinese cities most attractive to foreign talent, according to a new survey, with Suzhou, Shenzhen, Nanjing, Qingdao, and Xiamen following behind.

The findings of the latest survey were released at the 2025 Hangzhou International Human Resources Exchange and Cooperation Conference, which opened on Sunday in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.

The survey was conducted by the Foreign Talent Research Center of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. It asked expats working and living in 64 cities to rate work satisfaction, livability, and environmental friendliness.

At the opening ceremony of the conference, Ding Zhongli, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, underscored the important role of international talent.

"Education, technology, and talent serve as fundamental and strategic pillars for the Chinese path to modernization," said Ding, who is also president of the Western Returned Scholars Association, a co-host of the conference.

Liu Jie, governor of Zhejiang province, said Zhejiang has always prioritized talent as its foremost resource.

The province has attracted over 18,000 high-level international talents, according to Liu. In 2024, the overall investment in scientific and technological innovation across Zhejiang exceeded 680 billion yuan ($95.50 billion), with talent incentive funds surpassing 20 billion yuan.

Hangzhou, as the provincial capital, has emerged as a hub of technological innovation and a magnet for talent. In the past seven years, it has consistently ranked among the top five in the "Amazing China" survey.

"Although I've had the privilege of collaborating with researchers across the globe and visiting many inspiring cities, it was the unique charm and dynamic innovative spirit of Hangzhou that ultimately drew me to relocate my research focus," said Donald Dingwell, a Canadian geoscientist who joined the Hangzhou International Innovation Institute of Beihang University as chief scientist in October 2024.

"The exceptional talent ecosystem, robust research infrastructure, and efficient support services here enable me to dedicate myself fully to research and teaching," he said.