As part of China’s efforts to further opening up and attracting international talents, the 18th Con-ference for the International Exchange of Professionals (CIEP) was launched, with innovation, in-ternational cooperation and development highlighted.

This year’s conference, which integrated both online and offline activities, was kicked off on Sept 7. It has attracted broad interests from thousands of companies, professional organizations and training agencies, as well as domestic and overseas talent.

The conference is held “amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the proliferating anti-globalization trend” that hinders globalization of technologies, said Wang Zhigang, China’s minister of science and technology, in his opening remarks.

International cooperation is under the spotlight in this year’s CIEP, with around 80 overseas institu-tions from more than 20 countries and regions presenting programs from various industries — med-ical treatment, information and communications technology, science and technology, and more.

Russia, the guest of honor of this year’s conference, introduced 78 institutions and enterprises and more than 183 programs.

The wide range of programs presented “demonstrates the diversity in cooperation between China and Russia both in terms of geographical locations and fields,” said Valery Falkov, minister of sci-ence and higher education, during the opening ceremony.

China and Russia also vowed to further cooperation in scientific and innovative cooperation, and the conference is serving as a platform for professional organizations and educational institutions to consolidate collaboration.

Wang reaffirmed China’s commitment to deepening global scientific cooperation through positive attitudes and practical measures and to protecting the legal rights of the talent.

“We will enable domestic and overseas talent to enjoy ‘China’s opportunities’, to get into proper positions and give full play to their abilities,” said Wang.

More than 3,000 cooperation intentions on technological innovation and talent exchange programs are unveiled during CIEP, covering a wide range of industries including manufacturing, energy, en-vironmental protection, finance, new-generation information technology, education and culture.

To help attendees from both sides of the market identify ideal partners, the conference has adopted advanced search and communication systems and has launched numerous virtual events ranging from online forums and program roadshows to facilitate exchange and cooperation.

The online recruiting platform has attracted more than 4000 institutions and organizations that pub-lished around 20,000 job openings in the first week alone, and has received more than 23,000 cop-ies of resumes.

By inviting talent to enjoy “China’s opportunity,” China is to “incentivize the power of technology and innovation and push forward transformation in the global governance system,” said Wang, and to “make further contributions to building the community with shared future for mankind”.

The conference also highlighted China’s fast-developing regions, notably the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and their efforts to build a prefer-able environment for international talent.

Shenzhen, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary as a special economic zone this year, is on the front line of China’s opening up and attracting talent.

“Shenzhen’s development is inseparable with global talent, and the municipality will put talent de-velopment as a priority for the city’s development,” said Wang Weizhong, Party secretary of Shen-zhen.