The personnel bureau of the government also acted as the agent for 136 other enterprises, mostly from finance, logistics, manufacturing, health and IT industries, to recruit professionals in the job fairs.

Huang Weimao, director of the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Personnel, said: 'To meet the demands of Shanghai's fast development and adaptation to economic globalisation, the second-round project will be aimed at high-level Chinese professionals from overseas [including] Hong Kong and Macau.'

The job fairs attracted more than 1,500 applicants, 80 per cent of whom held a master's or doctorate degree and were aged below 40.

'We chose New York, San Francisco and Toronto to hold the fairs because those are the places where overseas talent is concentrated. But we also welcome applicants from all over the world, including Hong Kong and Macau,' Mr Huang said.

'Professionals in sectors such as finance, securities, insurance and law firms in Hong Kong are quite sought-after in Shanghai because they usually have more international experience and comparably better education.'

As the World Exposition Shanghai China 2010 approaches, the local government is hoping to introduce more professionals related to exhibition design and project management from Hong Kong.

'Although we didn't hold job fairs in Hong Kong, we received applications from overseas Hong Kong professionals,' Mr Huang said. 'Hong Kong residents who are interested can apply online by going to our website.'

The latest positions for Hong Kong people on the website of the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Personnel include project controller and senior engineer at Bayer Technology and Engineering (Shanghai), market researchers and IT professionals in the China Foreign Exchange Trade System (CFETS) and lawyers in Shanghai's Yishi law firm.

The Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and other local research institutions are offering more than 10 vacancies for post-doctorate researchers and scientific assistants.

'Interested parties should first check the requirements for the posts and then apply. We'll recommend appropriate candidates to employers according to their information, and conduct online interviews,' Mr Huang said.

He said a good understanding of Putonghua, mainland culture and its government system were essential to Hongkongers adapting to life in Shanghai.

'We are doing everything we can to create a better environment for this talent but, at the same time, candidates should be well-prepared before coming to Shanghai.'

Attractive incentive packages are offered to professionals working in Shanghai. With a work contract in place, they can apply for a temporary Shanghai residency card, which guarantees them the same social benefits as locals.

On the salary gap between Hong Kong and the mainland, Mr Huang said the value of human resources had been fully recognised by many companies and institutions and they were willing to offer higher pay to attract skills.

'Some professionals who come to Shanghai from Hong Kong enjoy a yearly income of up to 2 million yuan in some financial organisations,' he said.

In 2003, the Shanghai government launched a programme to attract 1,000 Hong Kong professionals. It ended up successfully relocating 1,700 Hong Kong workers to the city.

'We do not have goals in recruiting a specific number of Hong Kong people now. We have focused on a long-term exchange system instead,' Mr Huang said.

The Hong Kong-Shanghai International Exchange of Personnel was established last year to explore the long-term exchange system. The company acts as a consultancy for Hong Kong citizens moving to Shanghai's job market, helping with entry procedure, work permits, residency and social security matters.

As well as applying for jobs through the Shanghai Personnel Bureau website, Hong Kong residents can contact the organisation for other information about working in Shanghai.

'Shanghai has 63,000 overseas Chinese professionals and 3,500 ventures set up by them - more than any other mainland city at this time,' Mr Huang said.

The number is growing quickly and the Public Security Bureau receives an average of 600 work permit registrations from overseas professionals a month. 'Our target is to bring 10,000 people to Shanghai in two years. We'll go on organising overseas job fairs next year, and Hong Kong is under consideration.'

consider the Facts

Large number of top posts open for overseas and HK people in Shanghai

Professionals in finance, security, insurance and the exhibition industry are favoured

A good understanding of Putonghua, mainland culture and its government system required

Policies in place to ensure a smooth adaptation to Shanghai

Apply on government website or contact the Hong Kong-Shanghai International Exchange of Personnel