Suggestions for attracting more overseas Chinese to Anhui for innovation and entrepreneurship have been heard during the ongoing "two sessions" of Anhui province.

Overseas Chinese from Anhui who have mastered advanced technologies and have management experience are an important source for building a high-level talent base in Anhui.

Zhang Xinfeng, who attended the major political event, suggested that it is necessary to strengthen publicity and liaise with overseas Chinese, and to improve the supporting policies for overseas Chinese to work and live in Anhui.

"Make the returnees feel 'at home' so that they can be attracted and retained," Zhang said.

Born in Bozhou, Anhui, Zhang has worked in Singapore for 10 years and has extensive experience in high-end equipment manufacturing and new material research and development. At the end of 2014, Zhang came to Hefei, capital of Anhui, from Singapore to start a business. After years of development, his company's core technology, which is pure ion coating technology, helped fill a technological gap in China.

Zhang is also head of the first council of the Western Returned Scholars Association of the Hefei National High-tech Industry Development Zone and plays the role of "bridge" in contacting and attracting overseas high-level talents.

Zhan Jingbo, who operates an industrial park in Hungary with his father, has been helping outstanding enterprises in Anhui to go global as well as helping Hungarian enterprises to enter the Chinese market and invest in China.

Zhan said Anhui boasts a good environment for technological innovation as well as many scientific research institutes and universities, which is very suitable for overseas Chinese to innovate and start businesses. Zhan suggested providing multi-level financial services for overseas Chinese who come to Anhui to help solve the capital needed for their initial startups.

Zhang Liye, a deputy to the Anhui Provincial People's Congress, who is responsible for attracting overseas Chinese high-level talents, made a motion urging regional legal protection and favorable policies to attract overseas Chinese talents.

Statistics show that there are more than 10,000 enterprises backed or owned by overseas Chinese in Anhui. As of November 2021, Anhui (Hefei) Qiaomengyuan, an industrial park for overseas Chinese's businesses, has gathered more than 400 overseas Chinese-backed enterprises and attracted more than 3,500 overseas talents, which include foreign experts.