Overseas Chinese talent is starting to look homeward

Last week, Silicon Valley was operating on an extra tight schedule as four large conferences — all sponsored by overseas Chinese and themed around high-tech innovation and entrepreneurial catalysts — took place back to back.

Many overseas Chinese should probably start to consider China the right place to pursue their dreams, as China is now encouraging innovation-driven development and economic growth. Top leaders in China repeatedly vow to create an ecosystem more favorable for overseas talents who want to return to, work and live in China.

On Sept 26, the Silicon Valley-China Wireless Technology Association held its annual conference around the theme of monetizing technological innovation in the next billion-dollar market. So did the Monte Jade Science and Technology Association and the Silicon Valley Technology Innovation & Entrepreneurship Forum, both of which gathered technology and business pioneers from China and the US to discuss how mankind could make the best use of technology to protect the environment and benefit all.

On top of these, the Chunhui Cup Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition for Overseas Chinese Students, an annual program jointly sponsored by China's Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and Technology since 2006, grabbed the most attention from the Chinese community.

In an effort to help the world's second-largest economy recruit the best and the brightest back to China, the Chinese government has been using this program to reach out to the vast overseas student population and has so far selected about 1,376 business plans by Chinese students and scholars, 300 of which are already underway in China.

China began sending students and scholars to study abroad about 100 years ago and, since 1978, has been quickening the pace. By the end of 2012, 2.64 million Chinese had been sent abroad for schooling and only 1.09 million have returned, according to the Ministry of Education.

Although only a sub-contest of a much larger global effort, the Chunhui Silicon Valley event, established in 2013, showed its technology strength and innovative robustness with more than 130 projects entering the final screening this year and 20 of them being recognized and honored for first, runner-up and third-place prizes.

Among the three grand-prize winners, young researchers and scholars explored areas of high-performance Internet server architecture, dynamic electronic data gathering and third-generation biochemical chips.

“I'm very excited to see this happening in Silicon Valley. I'm proud of our young talents on the West Coast for not only excelling in their academics but also demonstrating their patriotism and close bonding with their homeland,” said Yuan Nansheng, consul general of China's San Francisco Consulate General, adding Chinese president Xi Jinping has several times called on the overseas-educated talent, whether at home or abroad, to contribute to realizing the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.

Xi, when speaking to 3,000 people on Oct 21 last year at the 100th anniversary celebration of the establishment of the Western Returned Scholars Association in Beijing, said the government supports students and scholars studying abroad, encourages them to return to China, guarantees them the freedom of coming and going and supports them in using their talents.

The Communist Party of China and the government respect the choices of the overseas-educated talent, Xi said. "You are warmly welcomed if you return to China," he said. "If you stay abroad, we support you in serving the country in various ways."

On Sept 30, 2013, members of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau, led by Xi, paid a visit to Beijing's Z-Park, China's leading science, technology and innovation hub in Zhongguancun, for a tour where they emphasized that China was shifting to an innovation-driven development pattern and economic growth model.

The leaders listened to presentations given by tech gurus Liu Chuanzhi, founder of PC maker Lenovo; Robin Li, CEO of search engine Baidu; and Lei Jun, CEO of smart phone company Xiaomi.

They also talked with executives and scientists about research and implementation of new technologies such as additive manufacturing, cloud computing, nano materials, bio-chips and precise crop breeding, according to Xinhua reports.

"We must enhance awareness of unexpected challenges and grab the opportunities of the science and technology revolution. We can't wait, hesitate or slack off," Xi said, adding that implementing the strategy of innovation-driven development will decide the fate of the Chinese people, therefore the entire society must fully realize the importance of science, technology and innovation.

Contact the writer at junechang@chinadailyusa.com.