In a bid to bolster its technological advancement, China has covertly revitalized a program that once raised alarms in Washington. For a decade until 2018, China actively sought elite foreign-trained scientists through the extensively funded Thousand Talents Plan (TTP), a move perceived by the U.S. as a challenge to its own interests and technological supremacy.

Despite halting the TTP due to U.S. investigations, China has now discreetly reinstated the initiative with a new name and structure. This resurgence revealed through information from sources familiar with the matter and a comprehensive review of more than 500 government documents spanning 2019 to 2023 by Reuters, aligns with China's broader mission to accelerate its tech proficiency.

As per the reports by Reuters China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology oversees the revived Qiming recruitment initiative. This replaces the previous Thousand Talents Plan (TTP) and offers substantial perks, including home-purchase subsidies and significant signing bonuses ranging from 3 to 5 million yuan.

Qiming, or "Enlightenment," quietly recruits tech professionals, including sensitive areas like semiconductors. Unlike its predecessor, it keeps recipients undisclosed due to sensitivity, and its association with Huoju, focusing on tech clusters, awaits clarification from the Ministry of Science and Technology.

It's important to highlight that Qiming's activities are interconnected with recruitment drives orchestrated by local and provincial authorities. Additionally, there is a government-backed recruitment campaign by Chinese chip companies, although the specific entities involved could not be independently verified.

The U.S. has consistently accused China of intellectual property theft, a charge Beijing dismisses as politically driven. Dean Boyd from the U.S. National Counterintelligence and Security Center emphasized the risks to economic and national security due to foreign talent recruitment. The challenge of limiting intellectual property leakage via talent acquisition is complex and could unintentionally lead to ethnically-sensitive investigations, notes China analyst Nick Marro from the Economist Intelligence Unit.

Recent talent initiatives, like Qiming, prioritize recruiting top-tier applicants trained at leading foreign institutions, with a focus on those who have studied at renowned U.S. universities like Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard, and Stanford. Despite the surge in applications, the number of experts recruited under Qiming remains undisclosed. U.S. officials highlight potential legal issues concerning disclosure of affiliations, sharing proprietary information, and violating export controls.

Throughout China, there's a notable influx of resources from provincial and municipal governments into talent recruitment efforts, as per official documents.

In Wenzhou City, Kunpeng professionals receive significant investment, including rewards, start-up funds, and housing, with the local government's budget for these endeavors increasing by 49% in 2022. Incentive payments of up to 1.5 million yuan are offered by Huzhou to employers recommending Qiming candidates, as outlined in a 2021 city directive.

According to sources familiar with the situation, despite President Xi's emphasis on advancing China's chip expertise, numerous Chinese semiconductor experts abroad are hesitant to return. Due to China's political environment and its comparatively weaker position in chip development compared to the West,

Some experts, especially those with foreign citizenship, worry that joining these government talent initiatives could curtail international opportunities or lead to U.S. investigations. As a result, some experts may be offered roles in Chinese chip companies' overseas operations.

Image source: Japan Times