For decades, policymakers in developing countries have pondered the question of how best to recruit and retain top international talent. Recently, this trend has begun to reverse as countries such as China and India benefit from the skills of highly-educated workers returning to their home countries after a career spent overseas. The Chinese government, increasingly conscious of the value of highly skilled human capital, recently announced a major national plan to attract global talent as a means of fostering innovation and building internationally competitive industries.

On September 20, the John L. Thornton China Center at Brookings hosted a discussion of China’s new talent recruitment plan and evaluate the Chinese strategy, both on its own merits and in a global context.

Senior Fellow Kenneth Lieberthal, director of the John L. Thornton China Center, provided introductory remarks. Senior Fellow Cheng Li, director of research of the Thornton China Center, moderated the discussion. After the program, panelists took audience questions.