Recruiting in China

MORE than 10,000 overseas professionals have been lured to Shanghai in the past 15 months - nine months ahead of a target set by the Shanghai Personnel Bureau.

The bureau said yesterday that as of the end of February, 10,324 overseas professionals had come to work in the city. Half of the number were overseas Chinese who have acquired foreign citizenship. Most come from developed countries including the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan.

"We are glad to see so many overseas talents coming to work for Shanghai's development, but how to retain them and use their expertise to the fullest remains a challenge that tops our work agenda in the following period," said Mao Dali, vice director of the bureau.

The bureau launched the recruitment drive in December 2005, and had initially aimed to reach the 10,000 mark before this December.

The city launched a similar drive in August 2003 and reached the 10,000 figure 27 months later in November 2005.

The bureau said yesterday that nearly 34 percent of the incoming professionals hold a PhD, nearly 10 percentage points higher than that of the first recruitment drive.

Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (Group) recruited seven doctorate holders from the United States as vice presidents or program directors to develop its own brands and clean-energy cars last year.

To date, more than 68,000 returned overseas Chinese and about 70,000 foreign professionals work in the city, the bureau said.