Zhongshan has always attached great importance to talent, and is continuously deepening reform of talent development systems. The city has also been improving the ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship for talents over these past few years.

It has designed many preferential policies for talented people to settle here, such as education for their children, housing subsidies and other allowances.

"We have set up a talent fund of 1 billion yuan ($145.19 million) to provide equity and financial support for sci-tech innovation talents. The maximum reward for innovative research teams will be 30 million yuan," said Xiao Zhanxin, the city's mayor.

"We also provide startup funds and free land use for entrepreneurs returning from overseas," he added.

A signing ceremony is held at this year's Top Talent Networking on Thursday. CHINA DAILY

To attract more professionals, Zhongshan launched a talent festival — the Top Talent Networking — in 2014. Over the past decade, the annual event has held 116 activities, attracting 37 academicians, 100-plus experts of key national talent projects, and more than 400,000 Chinese and overseas talents to participate.

"The festival has become a channel to show talent-related achievements in Zhongshan, as well as a platform to release policies and host a grand event to promote talent communication and exchanges," said Zhang Yuanliang, a local senior government official.

Major activities of this year's talent festival, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, kicked off on March 30 and will last for weeks.

With the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Zhongshan has seen more frequent exchanges in talent, trade, economy and information with Bay Area cities and the wider country.

During the festival, the city will welcome two groups of foreign professionals to visit local high-tech companies.

Macau University of Science and Technology, for example, plans for experts specializing in the sustainable development of environmental and innovative technologies to visit Zhongshan.

Also, Guangdong Science and Technology Department has organized a tour to southern Guangdong for overseas experts with Zhongshan being the first stop.

The activity is open to doctoral and postdoctoral students in overseas universities, as well as doctors and post-doctorates who have overseas learning and working backgrounds, and have taken part in innovation and entrepreneurship competitions worldwide.