China should empower emerging foreign talent

China needs to give young, talented, foreign individuals from all over the world reasons to believe that their dreams can come true in this land. To do that, holding hands with young, talented, foreign individuals whose dreams ALREADY came true in this land could be extremely useful. Because those successful men and women are tangible examples, mirrors in which others who still have not discovered all that China has to offer can reflect themselves in. Young professionals who have already succeeded in China have a burning passion for developing their careers in this country. They have the kind of internal fire needed to inspire others to feel the same way about developing their careers in China.

Yet, to be taken seriously overseas, they need to be empowered from within. Organizing an annual meeting between young foreign talents and the nation's top leadership could be a way of doing so and of sending a powerful message to the global community about China's commitment to host emerging talent.

To carry out the mission of recruiting the new "Messis" of science, technology and management, China should say "welcome aboard" to Mainland-based emerging foreign talents. These people can contribute with radars that may provide better orientation on where to look for and how to influence their peers. At the end of the day, the talent of tomorrow, rather than discovered, is cultivated by betting on those who seem to potentially have it today.

The author is an investment consultant with the Foshan Bureau of Commerce and a former research scholar in China-Latin America Economic Relations at the Harvard Law School and Tsinghua University.