Lin-gang Special Area, the new expansion of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone, is luring talent from all over the world.

Shanghai is likely to put forward the biggest possible incentive for foreign talent recruitment, according to a notice on supporting the introduction of foreign talent in the area, which was released at a press conference on September 20. That means the area will become a test field for expat introduction.

Currently, the number of foreigners working in Shanghai is 215,000, accounting for 23.7% of the total number in China. Among the foreigners’ work permits issued by Shanghai authorities, the number of high-end talent (Class A) is around 30,000, said Fu Guoqing, deputy director of the Shanghai Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs.

He also said that 58 foreign experts were honored with the Chinese Government Friendship Award, which is China’s highest award for foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to the country’s economic and social progress. In 2019, Shanghai, for the 7th consecutive year, took the top spot on the list of the most attractive Chinese cities for expats.

According to Fu, the Lin-gang Special Area is making greater efforts to attract foreign technology talent. Specifically, restrictions on age, academic degree and work experience will be lifted when it comes to badly-needed foreign professionals. To provide more stability for the employees, foreigners’ work permits will be issued with a validity period of more than two years.

For enterprises who are seeking overseas personnel, the municipal commission of science and technology and the administration of foreign-expert affairs will utilize their overseas resources to build a platform for foreign talent introduction, said Fu.