Xiamen is continuing to strengthen its position as a global talent hub, attracting over 3,900 new international professionals in 2025 — a 9.5 percent increase year on year. The city has been honored as "China's Best City for Talent Attraction" for five consecutive years and recognized as "the Most Attractive Chinese City in the Eyes of Foreign Talent".
In recent years, Xiamen has rolled out a comprehensive global talent initiative focused on five key areas, including targeted recruitment of top-tier experts, international scientific collaboration, and attraction of overseas students. By leveraging platforms such as innovation competitions, professional events, and the BRICS PartNIR Innovation Center, the city has integrated its talent strategy into a wider international context.
To enhance recruitment efficiency, Xiamen has delegated greater autonomy to provincial innovation labs and new-type R&D institutions, adopting a "needs-based positioning and precision matching" model. Talents recruited through this system are eligible for the city-level key talent initiative and may receive funding support of up to 1 million yuan ($143,726).
To date, 18 high-caliber domestic and international professionals have been brought onboard through the special appointment track.
An increasingly robust international intellectual network is taking shape in Xiamen. The city has established five overseas academician and expert workstations and operates an International Student Entrepreneurship and Employment Base, which provides a streamlined pathway for outstanding foreign graduates to remain in Xiamen. Foreign postdoctoral researchers also receive equal access to stipends and retention subsidies.
Forty-one new port-of-entry duty-free shops have been established nationwide, with Xiamen Xiang'an International Airport, Xiamen Wutong Passenger Wharf, and Xiamen International Cruise Center included on the list.
China unveiled the 2025 version of the Catalogue of Encouraged Industries for Foreign Investment, outlining key measures to attract and use foreign capital with greater efforts.
