People are seen at Hongqiao International Airport in Shanghai, on May 21, 2020. [Photo/Agencies]

The Hongqiao area in Shanghai has showed clear progress in its efforts to attract international talent just a year after the central government put forward a plan to build the Hongqiao International Hub for Opening-up, local media reported on March 2.

So far, Hongqiao has made significant achievements including the opening of the China Shanghai Human Resource Service Industrial Zone Hongqiao Park, the establishment of the entry-exit certificate service window at the Hongqiao International Business Talent Hub, and the implementation of the policy supporting foreign high-level talents with permanent residence ID cards to establish technology-based enterprises.

Statistics from the Hongqiao International Central Business District showed that last year, 9,465 applications were processed at the work permit service window for foreigners there, accounting for one-fifth of the city's total. The number of applications handled through the district's online platform increased by 67 percent year-on-year. Thanks to the "policy network," it has opened up the administrative boundary, and the district's talent service has benefited 120,000 talents at home and abroad.

One-stop services are available for foreign talents

Hongqiao International Central Business District is transforming into a talent center because of the one-stop talent services supplied at service sites, talent-friendly policies, and a favorable business climate.

The Enterprise Service Center in Hongqiao's International Central Business District recently opened its doors, providing one-stop services for both businesses and talents. The Enterprise Service Center's C Area was designed as a "single window" that can handle both resident permits and employment permit applications for foreigners throughout the city.

The Shanghai Korean School, which opened in the Hongqiao International Central Business District a few days ago, required more than 20 foreign teachers to go through the employment permit requirements in a consolidated manner. They no longer need to travel to Minhang District Exit-Entry Administration and other locations because of the service center, which can meet their demands.

"We found that there are many international communities, international schools, and multinational enterprises in the Hongqiao International Central Business District," said Liu Fei, director of the Investment Promotion and Public Service Center of Shanghai Hongqiao International Central Business District. The Enterprise Service Center has introduced one-stop services for international talent, and the entry and departure windows, as well as the Science and Technology Commission window, can assist foreigners with visas, residence permits, and work permits. Foreign workers in the area who work for companies in the Yangtze River Delta region can apply for work permits there as well.

The desire for talent in Hongqiao is demonstrated by the level of service provided. The Hongqiao International Business Talent Hub is looking into establishing a human resources service industrial park, promoting the development of an immigration policy practice base, improving the talent apartment management system, improving the overseas talent exchange mechanism for Yangtze River Delta enterprises, and facilitating the residence of foreign high-caliber talent. The China Shanghai Human Resource Service Industrial Zone Hongqiao Park, which debuted on Feb 25, has attracted 50 top human resource firms.

Expert advice: Implement more systematic policies based on strategic positioning

Efforts to attract professional, international, and innovative talent were encouraged as part of the larger goal to establish the Hongqiao International Hub for Opening-up. Using the Hongqiao International Business Talent Hub, Hongqiao's international talent management services have improved over the past year, and its appeal to international talent has grown dramatically.

Wang Zhen, vice-president of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, is an expert in regional economic development. Talent development and regional growth, in his opinion, are mutually beneficial. According to the strategic orientation of the Hongqiao International Hub for Opening up, Hongqiao will need to focus on attracting talents in the categories of headquarters economy, exhibitions, professional business service, scientific and technological innovation in the future.

He believes that to give full play to the advantages of opening up, Hongqiao should actively carry out the pilot reform of international talent management, establish a competitive overseas talent policy system, and learn from advanced international concepts and practices in terms of facilitating entry, permanent residence, entrepreneurial support, security services, living and working. At the same time, backed by its geographical advantages in the Yangtze River Delta region, Hongqiao needs to build a hub that can effectively solve various practical problems in the cross-regional flow of talents.

Wang suggested that in the construction of Hongqiao International Business Talent Hub, Hongqiao should implement more open, active and systematic policies for attracting and gathering talents, providing more incentives and quality services to overseas talent. At the same time, it is also necessary to promote the deep integration of the "talent chain" with the "innovation chain", "industry chain", "capital chain" and "service chain", and carry out systematic and a chain-like talent system in the aspects of selection, training, evaluation, use, and guarantee.

According to its plan, Hongqiao International Central Business District will focus on the latest functional positioning of the development of the Hongqiao International Central Business District and take it as the main direction for its efforts to attract and retain talents.