For the last five consecutive years, top employment and human resources platform Zhaopin.com has named Xiamen, Fujian Province, “China’s Best City for Talent Attraction.” The coastal city also ranks among the country’s top cities for talent density, with the Xiamen Human Resources and Social Security Bureau categorizing 1.7 million of its 5.35 million residents as highly skilled and nearly 20,000 as top-level professionals in 2025. Additionally, in that year alone, more than 3,900 international professionals moved to the city, a 9.5-percent increase from the previous year.
What’s driving Xiamen’s emergence as China’s most attractive destination for professionals, researchers and entrepreneurs? Three new residents, each on a very different journey, offer a glimpse into the city’s appeal.
Strong platforms and flexible policies
In March 2024, Weng Bo moved to Xiamen to join the Institute of Urban Environment of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) as a researcher and doctoral supervisor. Before moving to the city, he conducted postdoctoral research at KU Leuven, the largest university in Belgium, where he received the prestigious EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship and a research fellowship from the Research Foundation Flanders. He specializes in machine learning-assisted design of materials for removing pollutants from air and water.
“My decision to come to Xiamen was mainly about the research platform,” he said. “The Chinese Academy of Sciences represents the highest level of scientific research in China, and the Institute of Urban Environment is a perfect match for my field.” The institute is China’s only national-level research organization dedicated specifically to urban environmental studies, focusing on urban ecology, environmental health, and sustainable development. But academic reputation was not the sole reason for his choice to settle in Xiamen. Weng added that the city’s support for young researchers also played a major role in his decision.
Xiamen has established long-term talent partnerships with CAS and focuses recruitment efforts on strategic industries such as AI, integrated circuits and advanced materials. In 2025, the city upgraded its talent attraction and management program, expanding support for younger scholars and industry innovators. The city provides qualified professionals with government-backed funding and living stipends, giving early-career professors like Weng access to recognition and support commensurate with their abilities.
The city also emphasizes that talent evaluation should not be based solely on academic credentials or formal titles, but should take into account a candidate’s track record, abilities and potential contributions to Xiamen. Moreover, the city has granted autonomous talent recommendation rights to qualified enterprises, industry champions and industry chain leaders, giving those who work on the front lines a greater say in who should be recognized by the city.
Weng was selected for a municipal talent program and received research start-up support. “These policies allow me to focus wholeheartedly on my research without worrying about start-up resources,” he said. The city’s commitment to cultivating research leaders is having a cascading effect on talent recruitment. In just two years, he has assembled a team of more than 10 members.
Space to build new industries
From laboratory to start-up, Li Genji’s story in Xiamen reflects another side of its talent strategy: support for young entrepreneurs in emerging industries. A native of Shandong Province and a graduate of Wuhan University, Li founded TAOWHALE, an AI-powered education company, in Xiamen in 2023. The company was named one of Forbes China’s Top 50 AI Startups in 2025 and was the only AI education company on the list. Li himself was also recognized on the Hurun China Under-35 Entrepreneurship Pioneer list.
“The year 2023 was my first time visiting Xiamen,” Li recalled. “After I came here, I immediately decided to relocate the company.” His team had considered Beijing and Shanghai but ultimately chose Xiamen instead. “AI is still a new industry,” he said. “We don’t believe innovation only happens in traditional tech hubs. A great team can create a new hub anywhere.”
His move coincided with Xiamen’s push to attract AI talent. In 2025, the city introduced a new package of policies known as the “AI Industry Talent Measures,” one of China’s earliest comprehensive talent programs focused specifically on AI. The policies lowered barriers for startups to apply for government support and allowed AI companies to recruit international talent through specially designated positions. More importantly, the city adopted new standards for evaluating AI professionals, including contributions to open-source communities and software influence metrics, rather than relying only on academic credentials.
This approach has allowed young innovators like Li to gain recognition even without traditional academic titles. Li later became a recipient of support under the city’s Double Hundred Talent Program, a government-backed program supporting high-level talents, and was appointed the youngest member of Xiamen’s first AI education expert panel. “Xiamen is willing to give young teams a real chance,” he said. “That openness is rare.”
Today, Li’s company employs more than 200 people in Xiamen, with over half recruited from outside Fujian Province.
A city that feels welcoming
For French teacher Carole Lelièvre, Xiamen’s appeal is more personal.
Lelièvre has taught French at Xiamen University for the past two years. She initially came because of the city’s natural beauty but decided to stay because of its welcoming atmosphere.
“It’s very expat-friendly,” she said. “Even if you don’t speak Chinese, daily life here is manageable.” Her experience reflects broader efforts by the city to improve services for international residents. As one of China’s earliest special economic zones, Xiamen has long maintained an international outlook. In 2025, the city launched a new policy package for international talent covering immigration services, entrepreneurship support, and long-term residency assistance. That same year, Fujian Province’s first campus-based immigration service center opened at Xiamen University, providing one-stop support for visas, residence permits and policy consultation for international faculty and students. Additional international talent service centers have also been established in business districts, industrial parks and expat communities throughout the city.
For Lelièvre, however, everyday life matters just as much as policy support. She values the academic resources and multicultural atmosphere at Xiamen University, and enjoys the city’s quality of life—jogging along the beach in Xiang’an or meeting friends at cafés after work.
Building a future through talent
Over the past decade, Xiamen has gradually developed a comprehensive talent ecosystem covering recruitment, development, support and retention. Programs first launched in 2013 have evolved into broader initiatives supporting industries such as AI, integrated circuits, renewable energy and advanced materials.
As China enters the early years of its 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), Xiamen is investing heavily in the integration of education, technology and talent development. The city understands that attracting talent is only the beginning. The greater challenge is creating an environment where people can build careers, start companies, conduct research and feel at home.
For a growing number of people from around the world, Xiamen is becoming exactly that place. –The Daily Mail-Beijing Review news exchange item
