Xiaoshan district, southern gateway of Hangzhou, has enjoyed a comprehensive strength that has made it among the top districts and counties in Zhejiang province. The fast pace of economic development has given the district an obvious advantage in maintaining a net inflow of talents.

In order to maintain this competitive edge, the local authorities have put forward a series of preferential policies for promoting recruitment. High-level talents can apply for a subsidy for renting or purchasing a home. They can also get a living allowance from the government.

The district has cooperated with professional platforms of resource integration for talents and projects to attract the former in a more targeted manner. The International Talent Community (ITC) serves as a key platform in this regard. 

Xuan Yuewen, an official from the ITC, explained that, by integrating three business forms, namely, international smart office, international talent apartment and the international boutique business Impressions Qianjiang, the center has attracted the Hangzhou center of Founders Space, one of the top 10 incubators in Silicon Valley, to settle, followed by Israel Innovation, Xiaoshan Smart City Project Command Center, Haibang Innovation and other industrial service platforms.

According to Wang Xinlai, head of Xiaoshan District Science and Technology Bureau, the original purpose of setting up the ITC was to provide overseas talents with an area where they would study and work in a good environment.

"We want to build the ITC as a window to showcase our friendship towards international talents. So, we are striving to make constant improvements."

Zhejiang Xiaoshan High-Level Foreign Experts Innovation Center was unveiled last year at ITC. This year, a new one, Xiaoshan International Talents Service Center, was unveiled, offering 59 government-related and 48 targeted services to high-end foreign talents to help meet their needs in finding jobs, hiring people, obtaining research funding, business registration, financing, and customs clearance.

Hong Juan, manager of Founders Space's Hangzhou section, said that the local authority had helped a lot in fostering a platform for international talents to communicate.

"With such a platform, international talents can study here and make friends. In this way they can better integrate into the community and develop stronger bonds with the district."

Daniela Sena França, founder of SheUp, a women-centered organization based at ITC dedicated to being a bridge helping those who want to start business in China, had studied in China and started business in Xiaoshan after graduation. She said the local government's targeted policies had helped a lot in helping the overseas talents to integrate into the community.

"A question that I get a lot is how to connect Chinese communities because we are very much foreign-based group. We all have different circles and helping that all come together is really important."

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