A Translation Snapshot briefly describes a group of CSET-produced translations that share a common theme. This Snapshot summarizes CSET’s most noteworthy translations—as of August 31, 2023—of Chinese government programs that encourage overseas talent to relocate to China. Every one of the nine programs translated below focuses on one or both of two different demographics: Foreigners and Chinese nationals with work or study experience abroad. All of the programs target S&T talent, and some aim to recruit accomplished individuals in other fields as well. Taken together, the programs—formulated between 2011 and 2020—illuminate China’s foreign talent recruitment efforts before COVID-19 disrupted global travel and immigration, and may provide a model for China’s post-pandemic talent strategy.

Each entry below includes a hyperlink to the relevant original translation by CSET, as well as a short summary of its subject matter. Click on the hyperlinks to view the full text of each translation and additional contextual information.

Notice on Applying for 2020 National Foreign Expert Projects

关于申报2020年度国家外国专家项目的通知

Published in Chinese January 10, 2020  |  Translated by CSET February 13, 2020

This notice describes three different Chinese government programs designed to recruit foreign talent in 2020 in support of China’s economic development, particularly in tech fields. The notice explains the purpose of each talent program and provides information about the application process and the benefits that they confer upon foreign experts whose applications they accept. All three programs require Chinese companies, universities, or research institutes to apply on behalf of the foreigners they wish to recruit; they do not allow foreign experts to apply independently.

2020 National Foreign Expert Project Application Guide

2020年度国家外国专家项目申报指南

Published in Chinese in December 2019  |  Translated by CSET February 14, 2022

This document briefly describes six different Chinese talent recruitment plans, all designed to encourage foreign researchers, academics, administrators, or entrepreneurs to relocate to the PRC to enhance China’s strategic S&T capabilities.

2019 Chinese Academy of Sciences Talent Program Application Guide

2019年度中国科学院人才项目申报指南

Published in Chinese June 4, 2019  |  Translated by CSET June 30, 2020

This document is an apparently complete list and description of all Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) talent recruitment programs. CAS is a huge Chinese state-run scientific research institute, and its talent programs primarily target relatively young scientists working in strategic and emerging disciplines, including defense-related “military-civil fusion” technologies. Some of CAS’ recruitment efforts are aimed at domestic S&T talent, while others focus on encouraging foreign scientists to work for CAS at least part-time.

Notice of the Office of the Ministry of Science and Technology Declaring the 2019 High-End Foreign Expert Recruitment Plan

科技部办公厅关于申报2019年度高端外国专家引进计划的通知

Published in Chinese January 25, 2019  |  Translated by CSET March 17, 2020

This notice, issued by the PRC Ministry of Science and Technology in early 2019, describes China’s newly reorganized “High-End Foreign Expert Recruitment Plan.” Like other Chinese talent programs, the new plan aims to entice foreign scientists, professors, and entrepreneurs to work in China to share their knowledge. The plan does not allow foreigners to apply directly; instead, Chinese companies, universities, and research institutes must apply for the plan on behalf of their prospective foreign employees.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences Hefei Institutes of Physical Science: Recruiting Outstanding Domestic and Foreign Talent

中国科学院合肥物质科学研究院 诚聘海内外优秀人才

Published in Chinese June 17, 2017  |  Translated by CSET July 1, 2020

This document is an apparently full list, circa 2017, of technical positions that the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, a branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, hoped to fill through its talent programs. The document specifies the academic and career qualifications, desired age, and technology areas of the candidates that the Hefei Institutes seek to hire, and details monetary, housing, and other incentives to attract qualified candidates to Hefei. This is just one example, albeit an unusually detailed one, of Chinese scientific research institutions’ efforts to recruit foreign scientists—and Chinese scientists trained in the West—to improve China’s S&T talent pool.

Notice of the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs on the Publication of a Trial Implementation Proposal for a Work Permit System for Foreigners in China

国家外国专家局关于印发外国人来华工作许可制度试点实施方案的通知

Published in Chinese September 27, 2016  |  Translated by CSET July 30, 2020

This Chinese government-issued notice is an exhaustively detailed description of the process by which “foreign experts” receive permission to work in China. The document specifies precisely what qualifications China requires of foreign experts in different fields, and enumerates and provides samples of all of the paperwork prospective Chinese employers must file on behalf of foreign employees. The notice’s definition of “expert” is very broad and includes not only S&T and entrepreneurial talent, but also accomplished individuals in fields such as government, finance, advertising, entertainment, sports, music, literature, and art.

Detailed Rules for the Implementation of the 2016 “State Scholarship for Outstanding Self-Financed Study Abroad Students”

2016年“国家优秀自费留学生奖学金”实施细则

Published in Chinese May 10, 2016  |  Translated by CSET July 9, 2020

This document outlines a Chinese scholarship program for “self-financed” students who are studying abroad. The scholarship provides as much as $16,000 for a year of overseas study for PhD candidates under the age of 40. The scholarship also includes provisions to keep track of recipients and to aid them in returning to China after earning their degrees.

Situation Report on CAS’ Work on the “Youth Thousand Talents Program”

我院“青年千人计划”工作情况通报

Published in Chinese September 30, 2011  |  Translated by CSET June 29, 2020

This document, issued by CAS in 2011, details the number and affiliation of CAS-sponsored candidates for China’s “Youth Thousand Talents Program.” The Youth Thousand Talents Program is one of many Chinese government programs designed to recruit foreigners or Chinese living overseas, particularly those with strong S&T skills, to move to China and help improve China’s technology base. Under the Youth Thousand Talents Program, prospective employers in China, such as CAS, are responsible for identifying overseas talent they wish to recruit, and must then submit applications to the Program on behalf of their chosen candidates.

Detailed Rules for the “Thousand Talents Program” High-Level Foreign Expert Project

“千人计划”高层次外国专家项目工作细则

Published in Chinese in 2011  |  Translated by CSET July 8, 2020

This short Chinese official notice from 2011 provides details on China’s “Thousand Talents Program,” specifically the program’s procedures for recruiting and retaining non-Chinese foreign experts who can contribute to China’s S&T base.

To browse through CSET’s catalog of translations, visit the translation page on our website. If you don’t find the translation you’re looking for, you can request it through CSET’s translation request form. Please direct translation-related feedback to CSET Translation Manager Ben Murphy (email: ben.murphy@georgetown.edu; Twitter: @benm_translator).