The project has just brought in 94 recruits, according to Zhang Jianguo, director of the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs.
Professionals recruited by both programs will be entitled to subsidies, research allowances, favorable salaries, residency permits, medical care and insurance policies.
Professor Robert Gilbert, 66, was one of the new recruits.
Gilbert, an Australian who studies nutrition and food science, started work in China in October. He plans to build his own laboratory at Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Wuhan University.
China's emergence as a major global economy has made many foreign professionals shift their focus from traditional talent absorbers, such as the United States, he said.
"I enjoy being in China. It's very comfortable working and living here and I will probably prolong my stay in China when my contract ends in four years," he said.
Cumquat market in S China's Guangxi