China will ‘exhaust all means’ to lure global talent, despite push for tech self-sufficiency, Xi Jinping says

China is calling for more global talent to bolster technological innovation and national power, amid growing concern from foreign investors that Beijing’s “dual-circulation” strategy might turn it further inward and hamper international collaboration.

The transcript, published on Thursday on Qiushi, a state journal covering the Chinese Communist Party’s governing philosophy, laid out a specific timetable for China to become a world power in science and technology within two decades.

“The emphasis on independent cultivation of talent must not mean self-isolation,” Xi said.

“China needs participation of global talent, while its development also provides opportunities for global talent.”

Xi said China must implement more proactive policies to lure top professionals, which are in short supply, and form a “talent system with global appeal and competitive advantage”.

With generous funding and high-level jobs, China has long been seeking scientists from abroad, including from Japan.