Society

500,000 overseas Chinese scholars back home in 30 yrs

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-06-30 13:43

BEIJING - The number of Chinese scholars who have returned home after studying abroad in the last 30 years is almost 497,400, said Wang Xiaochu, vice minister of human resources and social security.

Last year the number of returning Chinese students passed 100,000 for the first time, a 56.2-percent increase over the previous year, said Wang.

Students abroad were in a unique position to help China's modernization and the government attached great importance to luring them back, Wang said at the 2010 Business Establishment Week for Overseas Chinese Students, in Dalian, Liaoning Province.

In 2008, the central government launched a program to entice home students abroad to help the country's economic development. To date, the scheme had attracted more than 800 high-level, innovative talents.

The government has pledged to further improve its policies and programs, in a bid to lure more overseas Chinese talents.