Shenzhen must attract top talent to keep growing, Chinese President Xi Jinping says

City needs “scientific and technological leaders, tech-savvy young adults and high-level innovative teams”, president says

Companies must also be offered better government protection in areas like intellectual property, he says

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Xi Jinping says Shenzhen must continue to attract top talent and do more to protect local businesses. Photo: Martin Chan

Published: 9:30pm, 14 Oct 2020Updated: 9:30pm, 14 Oct 2020

Shenzhen must strive to attract world-class talent to ensure its future development, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday during his visit to the south China hi-tech hub.

Authorities in the city “should implement a more open talent policy to attract and train talents on par with international standards”, he said on a trip to mark the 40th anniversary of Shenzhen becoming China’s first special economic zone (SEZ).

It was essential that the city attracted and retained “scientific and technological leaders, tech-savvy young adults and high-level innovative teams”, Xi said.

Shenzhen also needed to “modernise its governance” and “protect entrepreneurs’ rights” – on issues like intellectual property – in line with its position as a global megacity, he said.

The city had undergone profound changes and experienced enormous growth over the past four decades but challenges remained if it wanted to remain on that trajectory, Xi said.

“Shenzhen has evolved from a backward border town to an influential, international metropolis,” he said.

“This is a global development miracle that the Chinese people have created together.”

Shenzhen’s gross domestic product was 2.7 trillion yuan in 2019. Photo: EPA-EFE