AsiaOne reports that Zhang Jianguo, director of the State Administration of Foreign Expert Affairs, has said that China will build a database of overseas expat talent as part of a digital platform to match foreign experts with potential employers.
The platform will be the first big-data project of its kind in the country and will include all legally employed foreign workers’ nationalities, areas of expertise and industry, their employer and city of residence.
At the Conference on International Exchange of Professionals where he proposed the database, he commented:
“Both the supply and demand sides are positive… But I also noticed that many employers can’t find the right candidates. The key issue here is matching… In the past, overseas talent introduction was led by government policies and talent projects. But these cannot react to market changes dynamically. The market should lead overseas talent recruitment, and the government should create a friendly environment for overseas talent such as a simplified visa application process.”
As China develops, its increasingly facing talent challenges in emerging industries. For example: Many automakers are developing new energy vehicles and need foreign experts.
AsiaOne also noted that between 2011 and 2015, foreign experts paid more than 3 million visits to China, including short trips and longer-term employment. This is a 30% increase compared with 2006 to 2010.