The Global Talent War: How China Competes in the Era of New Trump Sanctions

In today's dynamic geopolitical and technological landscape, China is in a full-blown race to attract the world's top talent. Beijing knows that future success hinges on its human capital, and to that end, it has implemented a complex and well-articulated strategy. This competition is now intensifying with recent decisions from the Trump administration, which aim to further tighten technological restrictions, making the landscape even more complex.

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China's strategy to attract talent: a long-standing commitment

China's push to attract talent is not a recent phenomenon; it has evolved and intensified over time.

National plans and the broadening definition of "talent"

For years, China has launched strategic programs aimed at "brain gain." A significant example was the Thousand Talents Plan, designed to attract elite international scientists and position the country as a global leader in science and technology. However, this program raised concerns in the United States and other governments, who feared it could be a means for China to steal intellectual property. Although this has only been proven in rare cases, Chinese talent recruitment programs are still viewed with suspicion by U.S. government agencies.

Today, the concept of "high-level foreign talents" (Category A) is much broader. It's no longer limited to world-renowned academics, such as Nobel laureates or members of international academies. It also includes former Fortune Global 500 executives, prominent figures in the arts, Olympic athletes, and even former high-ranking officials of international organizations. This expansive vision underscores China's goal of using talent as a driver for 360-degree development. Long-term plans, such as those for the 2024-2035 period, aim to build a high-quality research education system, further strengthening this strategic foundation.

Economic incentives and cutting-edge research infrastructure

Economic attractiveness remains a fundamental pillar of this strategy.

• Competitive salaries and benefits. For high-level professionals, China offers high salaries, often exceeding those offered in their home countries, along with generous scholarships for students and researchers (like the CSC Scholarship). Comprehensive benefit packages include subsidized housing, private health insurance, spousal employment support, and significant tax incentives. These advantages are in addition to the generous salaries offered by universities and substantial research funding provided by the central government.

• Massive research funding. Significant budgets are allocated to basic and applied research through national R&D programs, such as Program 863, Program 973, and the NSFC. This ensures a stimulating and well-funded research environment, attractive to the brightest minds.

• Investments in new infrastructure. The "New Infrastructure Initiative" (NII) involves colossal investments in cutting-edge digital infrastructure, including IT, ICT, satellite communications, and data centers. This infrastructure is essential to support advanced research and technological innovation, making China a leading environment for professional development.

Creating innovation ecosystems at local and global levels

China has built a widespread network of science and technology parks, such as those linked to the Torch Program, as well as high-tech zones and business incubators. These ecosystems foster collaboration among universities, research centers, and companies, accelerating the development and application of new technologies.

"Competition for talent is intense both within China and among different districts in the same city," according to some Chinese experts. There are now hundreds of talent recruitment policies at the central, provincial, and city levels. Initiatives are structured on multiple tiers, from highly competitive programs aimed at attracting elite researchers and innovators to those encouraging skilled workers to relocate to specific cities or regions.

Developments in the last two years (2023-2025): adaptation and further facilitations

Over the past 24 months, China has further refined its strategies, making them more flexible and responsive to current needs.

Accelerated bureaucratic streamlining

The processes for obtaining R-type visas (talent visas) have been further streamlined and expedited, with an expansion of eligible categories, which now include researchers participating in key research teams and recent doctoral graduates in fundamental STEM disciplines. Some specific programs for international researchers, including the continuation of the Thousand Talents Plan and the Overseas Young Elite Recruitment Program, have been substantially reorganized under the High-End Foreign Talents Plan.

As of December 2024, a unified system integrating the Foreigner's Work Permit with the Social Security Card has been introduced, significantly simplifying administrative procedures and improving the daily experience for expatriates. Furthermore, a greater number of qualified workers now have access to long-term visas (valid for 2 to 10 years) and "Green Cards" (permanent residency permits), with expanded eligibility criteria to include professionals with in-demand skills and those meeting certain income thresholds.

Flexibility has also been increased for innovators. Restrictions on age, education, and work experience have been eased for foreign scientific and technological talents and entrepreneurs. Part-time work is now permitted, along with the ability to start businesses without having to reapply for specific permits. Some cities, like Chengdu, are even experimenting with pilot programs for "digital nomads," aiming to attract remote-working tech talents.

Strengthened tax incentives and local integration support

Chinese cities offer strong financial incentives. For example, Shanghai has reduced personal income tax rates for foreign talents in priority sectors (from 45% to 15%), significantly increasing China's economic competitiveness.

In addition to these advantages, generous relocation packages are offered at the local level. In central China, Gulin County, in predominantly rural Sichuan Province, offers PhD students a lump sum of 300,000 yuan (approximately 42,000 USD) and a monthly allowance of 1,000 yuan for relocating there. The city of Taizhou, in Zhejiang Province, will pay graduates up to 100,000 yuan for relocation to the coastal city. And Hunan Province will provide a sum of up to 1 million yuan to doctoral students who relocate there from abroad. These initiatives aim to distribute talent across the entire country, not just in major metropolitan areas.

Focus on strategic sectors and international collaborations

China's focus is particularly on high-priority sectors such as artificial intelligence, renewable energy, and biotechnology. China is accelerating its leadership in these fields, creating a fertile environment for researchers and professionals. Recent data (up to 2024) show a significant increase in China's global share of leading scientists (from 16.9% to 27.9%), indicating that attraction and retention efforts are proving successful.

Many multinational companies continue to invest in and expand their R&D centers in China, attracted by the policies and innovative ecosystem, strengthening scientific and technological collaboration. According to some Chinese experts, most recruitment initiatives are open to talent from all over the world, including China, reflecting the country's evolving dynamics.

Chinese tech companies accelerate recruitment of digital and AI talent

As China accelerates its digital transformation, major internet companies like Alibaba, Huawei, and Kuaishou are significantly intensifying their efforts to recruit and train artificial intelligence talent.

Since early 2025, these tech giants have considerably expanded their hiring initiatives, particularly in cutting-edge sectors like artificial intelligence, and have also launched internship and training programs to cultivate the next generation of digital professionals.

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba launched its spring recruitment campaign in February, targeting graduates from domestic and international institutions expected to graduate between November 2025 and October 2026. The company is offering over 3,000 internship positions across a wide range of roles, including research and development, algorithms, technology, cybersecurity, and product planning, with nearly half of these roles focused on artificial intelligence.

In April, Huawei announced its intention to hire over 10,000 graduates in 2025, representing double-digit growth compared to the previous year. The focus is on key areas such as large-scale artificial intelligence models, high-performance computing, and ecosystem development. The company will also promote the growth of over 5,000 trainees through training programs ranging from experimentation to cutting-edge R&D, and finance.

Meanwhile, Chinese short-video platform Kuaishou, internationally known as Kwai, is becoming a powerful engine for inclusive job creation. According to a 2024 report by Renmin University of China, Kwai generated 43.2 million job opportunities by the end of 2024, leading to the emergence of 174 new digital professions. The platform has introduced innovations with live-streamed job fairs to facilitate real-time matching between workers and employers. For example, in a county in Jilin Province, northeastern China, a local labor office trained 2,180 live-stream hosts, who then helped place over 35,000 workers.

The report estimates that for every 100 million yuan (approximately 13.9 million USD) increase in gross merchandise value (GMV) from live-streaming e-commerce, approximately 1,200 new jobs are created. "Live-streaming recruitment, an emerging format in recent years, not only overcomes the geographical and temporal constraints of traditional offline hiring processes but also offers job seekers more diverse and flexible options. It effectively addresses labor shortages in sectors like manufacturing, improves job matching efficiency, and reduces overall recruitment costs," stated Zhang Chenggang, director of the China New Employment Forms Research Center, a research institute jointly founded by Capital University of Economics and Business and the China Employment Promotion Association. Kuaishou has stated that it aims to train 10 million people in digital skills over the next three years, focusing on emerging roles such as live-streaming hosts, artificial intelligence application engineers, and digital marketing specialists.

The impact of Trump's decisions and China's response

The recruitment of highly skilled researchers and workers is fundamental to China's drive for economic and social development, and particularly for its technological self-sufficiency. At a recent event celebrating science and technology workers, Chinese President Xi Jinping unequivocally stated: "A country's technological innovation capability depends on talent."

Recent statements and decisions from the Trump administration, which suggest a further tightening of technological and trade restrictions, add a new layer of complexity to the "talent war." On May 28, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the United States would begin revoking visas for Chinese students and intensifying scrutiny on all visa applications from China.

New threats and the "reverse brain drain"

These actions pose new threats to international collaborations. The potential imposition of higher tariffs, restrictions on the export of key technologies (not just advanced chips, but potentially also AI software or design tools), and a more hostile political climate could make it more difficult for Western talents to choose to work in China, or could hinder transnational research collaborations. Companies and individuals operating between the two countries might face increased regulatory scrutiny and legal risks, especially in sectors considered sensitive for national security.

Paradoxically, a climate of restrictions and suspicion in the United States and Europe could accelerate the phenomenon of "reverse brain drain," meaning the return of Chinese talents trained abroad to their home country. "The Trump administration has made this decision much, much easier than ever before," according to some Chinese experts, referring to U.S. researchers with ties to China who might have been weighing whether to return. If scientists of Chinese origin feel discriminated against or limited in their career opportunities in the West, they may be further compelled to return to China, where they find abundant funding and a more welcoming environment for research. Already between 2010 and 2021, the percentage of scientists of Chinese origin who moved from the U.S. to China increased from 48% to 67%. Trump's policies could further exacerbate this trend.

Focus on self-sufficiency

Trump's decisions reinforce China's determination to achieve technological self-sufficiency. This translates into even greater investments in the domestic training of talents (especially in STEM disciplines and dual-use sectors) and in the development of alternative technologies, such as non-binary chips. The need to reduce external dependence becomes an indispensable strategic imperative for China.

Conclusions

China is demonstrating remarkable adaptability and resilience in its strategy to attract global talent. Despite the challenges posed by an increasingly tense geopolitical context and renewed pressures from the Trump administration, Beijing continues to invest heavily, streamline procedures, and create an attractive environment for high-level professionals, both domestic and international. The "talent war" is more than ever a crucial battlefield, and China is determined to win it, not only by attracting brilliant minds but also by cultivating an innovative ecosystem that will allow it to forge its technological future, even in a fragmented world.