Party committees, governments and officials at all levels should respect knowledge, talent and creation, follow the law of scientific development, and push for sci-tech innovations and their transformation into productive forces,” said Chinese President Xi Jinping at a symposium for scientists in Beijing last year.
China has recently doubled down on a bold and ambitious plan to become a leader in science and technological innovation under its 14th five-year plan (2021-25). It also has its eyes on semiconductors.
The available resources on the 14th five-year plan suggest that recruitment of foreign talent – both at home and abroad – will be a crucial policy goal.
“We should implement a more open talent policy and build a high ground for scientific research and innovation that gathers excellent talents at home and abroad,” says Chapter 6 of the 14th five-year Plan. The entire chapter is dedicated to the topic of talent in innovation economy.
“We will enhance the capacity of enterprises to make technological innovation, unlock the creativity of talent, and improve the systems and mechanisms for making scientific and technological innovation,” said Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in March 2021.
Li Keqiang also added that China will explore “science and technology immigration” under the new plan. Xi Jinping had already revived the “dual circulation” strategy to leverage domestic capacity to pursue opening up to global markets in 2015.
But Donald Trump administration’s campaign against Huawei and several other policy decisions to restrict China’s access to US intellectual property has revealed a key vulnerability faced by Beijing’s technology ambitions: talent, or human resource.
Talent is the Achilles heel of China’s technology ambitions.