Although China has been trying hard to attract international professionals, the country is still at the preliminary stage of attracting global talent, according to Wang Huiyao, director of the Center for China and Globalization in Beijing.
Only about 600,000 foreign professionals have work permits in China, while the US annually grants more than 100,000 green cards for foreign talent and nearly 90,000 talent visas, he said.
"We should do more to get global talent, for example by introducing more favorable and convenient visa and residence policies," he said.
Wu Jiang, director of the Chinese Academy of Personnel Science, said the country should optimize its structure of recruitment.
"For example, China only has 10 percent of its foreign experts working in the economic field. It's too low," he said. "We know what kind of talent we need most only after we get a better understanding of the country's talent and industrial structure."
The government should also provide better public services and make its legal environment for talent introduction better, Wu suggested.
Cumquat market in S China's Guangxi