China Quietly Revives Overseas Chip Talent Recruitment Amidst Tightened US Restrictions

China actively pursued the recruitment of highly skilled foreign scientists from 2008 to 2018 through a generously funded initiative called the Thousand Talents Plan (TTP), which the US government regarded as a challenge to American interests and technological dominance.

Following a hiatus due to US investigations into scientists, China has discreetly reintroduced the program with a new name and structure, as part of a broader strategy to enhance its technological capabilities.

This development involves providing incentives like subsidies for home purchases and customary signing bonuses ranging from 3 to 5 million yuan ($420,000 to $700,000) to attract talent, as revealed by three anonymous sources according to a leading daily.

China operates a range of talent programs, targeting both overseas Chinese and foreign experts, at different levels of government. The main successor to the TTP is a program called Qiming, overseen by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

This shift is documented in various government documents, online job postings, and sources knowledgeable about the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to its sensitive nature.

President Xi Jinping’s Plan
This renewed push to attract technology experts aligns with President Xi Jinping’s emphasis on achieving semiconductor self-reliance in response to US export restrictions. The US Commerce Department’s October regulations limit the involvement of US citizens and permanent residents in supporting advanced chip development and production in China.

However, both the State Council Information Office and the Chinese Ministry have declined to comment on Qiming. China has previously stated that its TTP program aimed to foster an innovation-driven economy, promote talent mobility, and respect intellectual property rights.

Qiming, also known as Enlightenment, focuses on recruiting individuals from scientific and technological fields, including “sensitive” or “classified” sectors such as semiconductors. Unlike its predecessor, Qiming does not publicly disclose awardees and maintains a low profile on central government websites, reflecting its sensitivity.

The effort is also intertwined with initiatives by local and provincial authorities and government-backed hiring initiatives by Chinese chip companies. However, it could not independently verify the specific companies involved.

The US has frequently accused China of intellectual property theft and technology appropriation, a claim China dismisses as politically motivated.
Dean Boyd from the US National Counterintelligence and Security Center notes that foreign adversaries recognize that acquiring top talent from the US and the West can be as valuable as obtaining the technology itself, potentially raising risks to economic and national security.

Efforts to stem the leakage of intellectual property through talent flows can be complex and prone to becoming biased, says Nick Marro, a China analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit.

China’s chip industry has seen significant growth, but it faces a shortage of around 200,000 professionals this year, including engineers and chip designers, as reported by a 2021 study from the China Center for Information Industry Development and the China Semiconductor Industry Association.

The newer talent programs introduced by China, like the TTP, focus on recruiting top-tier candidates, especially those trained at esteemed foreign institutions. Some of these individuals selected for Qiming have studied at renowned US universities, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard, and Stanford.

While the exact number of experts recruited through Qiming and related programs remains to be determined, although it seems that numerous applications have been submitted.

While talent poaching is not illegal in the US, there are concerns that university researchers might violate the law if they don’t disclose affiliations with Chinese entities while receiving US government funding or if they unlawfully share proprietary information.

What’s more, over a dozen advertisements seeking Qiming applicants have appeared on Chinese platforms such as Zhihu and LinkedIn since 2022, posted by recruiters; these posts seek candidates with doctorates from prestigious universities and overseas experience.

At the same time, China’s provincial and municipal governments are heavily investing in talent recruitment initiatives, like the Kunpeng Plan in Zhejiang province. These initiatives offer substantial resources and incentives to attract tech experts.

However, even with President Xi’s focus on advancing China’s chip capabilities, numerous Chinese semiconductor experts abroad remain hesitant to return due to the country’s political climate and its comparatively weaker position in chip development relative to Western nations.

Many experts are uncertain about the stability of such programs and are wary of forfeiting international opportunities or becoming subjects of US investigations. Some are considering roles in overseas operations of Chinese chip companies as a safer option.

The Last Bit, As the world witnesses a technological tug-of-war, the revival of China’s talent recruitment programs signifies a strategic move that echoes beyond its borders.

In the wake of tightened US restrictions, China’s calculated efforts to secure overseas chip talent underscore its determination to navigate constraints and assert its prowess.

However, this quiet resurgence is not without its challenges and controversies. The delicate balance between fostering innovation and safeguarding intellectual property remains an ongoing struggle.

As China’s Qiming program and others like it continue to reshape the global technology landscape quietly, the intricate balance between talent acquisition, security concerns, and geopolitical dynamics will undoubtedly shape the course of technological progress in the years ahead.