People's Daily:

The development of Shanghai as an international metropolis cannot be separated from international talent. I would like to ask what attracts international talent to Shanghai, and in particular, how does the city attract top international talent? Thank you.

Gong Zheng:

Thank you for your question. I will answer it. Talent is our primary resource. It can be said that a city's competitiveness depends on the caliber of talent it possesses. In the process of accelerating the construction of the "five centers," we have always insisted on gathering the best talents from around the world, continuously enhancing the empowering role of talent. This talent advantage has become a strong pillar supporting Shanghai in enhancing the city and its core competitiveness. In recent years, the total talent pool in Shanghai has continued to grow. For example, last year, we introduced and attracted a total of 172,000 domestic and overseas professionals, a 12% year-on-year increase. Currently, the total talent pool in Shanghai has exceeded 6.75 million. The clustering effect of high-end overseas talent has also continued to increase. Through the implementation of policies such as the "Talent Peak" project and special talent introduction and training projects in key sectors, we have gathered a large number of urgently needed high-end professionals. Shanghai has issued 441,000 work permits to foreigners and over 310,000 returned overseas students have come here to work and start businesses, both figures ranking first nationwide. Shanghai has always been a fertile ground for international talents chasing their dreams.

We also know that without international talent, Shanghai couldn't achieve its vision of developing the international "five centers." Therefore, we must recruit all kinds of top talent from around the world, accelerate the development of comparative advantages in international talent competition, and boost the construction of high-level talent hubs to new heights. We aim to focus our efforts on three areas:

First, we will strive to construct a high-level innovation platform aligned with national strategies. Focused on the significant talent needs during the development of the "five centers," our goal is to establish the four world-class platforms, namely, a basic scientific research platform, an industrial innovation platform, a scientific and technological service platform, and the Shanghai Global Talents Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition. Our objective is to create a "magnetic field" with a strong attraction to gather talent, providing them with opportunities and spaces for development, as well as enabling them to achieve success in Shanghai.

Second, we will build high-efficiency systems and mechanisms driven by reform and innovation. We will implement a more open, active, and effective talent policy and deepen the comprehensive pilot reform of the system and mechanism for talent development. Our approach includes delegating authority and loosening restrictions in talent discovery, recommendation, evaluation, and other areas, as well as building a rational pyramid-shaped talent structure to fully stimulate their potential for innovation and creativity.

Third, we will concentrate on services and support, aiming to establish a high-quality talent ecosystem. We will accurately meet the needs of talent regarding residency, settlement, inbound and outbound travel, and so on. By leveraging measures such as the premium service plan for outstanding global talent and the one-stop life-cycle reform of talent services, we will further integrate high-quality resources, enhance service quality, and strive to create an excellent ecosystem for the development of top-class professionals in Shanghai. Thank you.