9th Forum on Overseas Chinese Returnees Innovation and Entrepreneurship

January 19 , 2021

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The 9th Forum on Chinese Overseas Returnees Innovation and Entrepreneurship was hosted by the Western Returned Scholars Association (WRSA), Chinese Overseas Educated Scholars Association and Council for China and Globalization (CCG). This annual forum proposes and advocates policies to promote innovation and entrepreneurship by overseas Chinese returnees. This year over 500 hundred high-ranking government officials, business executives, senior scholars, and overseas Chinese returnees attended the event.

The theme of the forum was “International Talent and Chinese Opportunity,” which echoed President Xi Jinping’s speech given at last year’s WRSA centennial celebration on the issue of Chinese returnees.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Vice Minister of Education Liu Limin said that this forum comes at a critical time, a time when China is in great need for global talent – especially overseas Chinese returnees who constitute a significant part of China’s talent pool. Liu stated that “It is an inevitable trend that more and more overseas Chinese students are returning home for their career development.”

China is embracing a huge influx of retuning overseas Chinese talent. In 2013, a total of 3.5 million moved back for career development opportunities through innovation and entrepreneurship, the largest number in a single year in history.

He Yafei, the Vice Director of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office under the State Council, said that having innovative and creative talent is crucial for China to improve its global competitiveness, and his office will make it a priority to attract high-end overseas Chinese talent.

The opening ceremony, hosted by WRSA’s Vice Chairman and CCG President Dr. Wang Huiyao, announced a list of Chinese enterprises selected by the Overseas Returnees and Experts Service Center of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security for their best practice in recruiting overseas Chinese talent.

The following are the distinguished speakers of the forum:

Liu Yanguo, Deputy head of the SAFEA

Wang Yongqing, Director General of the 6th Bureau of the United Front Work Department of CPC Central Committee

Xia Wenfeng, Director of Overseas and Expert Service Center of MHRSS

Zhang Ge, Director of Organization Department of Chaoyang District Beijing

Former Vice Minister of Commerce and Former Secretary General of the Boao Forum, Long Yongtu

Mr. Long Yongtu, Secretary-General of Boao Forum for Asia and former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, delivered the keynote speech, saying that the Year 2014 marks a turning point for China’s international investment, declaring that, “For the first time, this year’s China’s investment abroad surpassed foreign investment in China.” Long added that, “Against such a backdrop, more than ever, we need global talent, especially overseas Chinese talent, to return home and contribute to this significant historical event.”

Chairman of Hanglung Group and Co-chair of Asia Society, Chen Qizong

Chen Qizong, Chairman of Hang Lung Group, addressed the forum giving a talk called The China Dream and Overseas Chinese. He emphasized that both quality and quantity is required for the realization of ‘The China Dream’.

Founding Managing Partner of Sequoia Capital China, Shen Nanpeng

Representing Chinese returnees, Shen Nanpeng said that given that 25 percent of enterprises’ CEOs are returnees that they deserve more supportive policies and healthy environment to ‘lead the way’.

Panel One: Global Talents and China’s Development

Panel Two:  Urbanization and China’s Development in Global Age

The Forum on Chinese Overseas Returnees Innovation and Entrepreneurship has been held eight times in the past 10 years. It is a platform for high-end talent to exchange ideas and learn about the latest policy developments for promoting start-up businesses and entrepreneurships.

Networking Dinner