"Our association is keeping in close touch with dozens of high-profile Chinese talent living overseas, which never happened to us before," said Chen Quan, Deputy Secretary General of the Western Returned Scholars Association (WRSA).

THE TREND OF RETURNING: Human resources staff from Shanghai hold a job fair in Auckland, New Zealand, to look for the brightest professionals among overseas Chinese talents (CUI MENG)

WRSA is an organization, formed in 1913, of returned Chinese talent from Western countries who have dedicated themselves to constructing the homeland.

With the country's leaders moving proactively to shore up the economy, the current of overseas talent returning home has begun picking up speed.

The Chinese Government issued a document in 2008 that suggested different regions and departments introduce more preferential policies to attract overseas Chinese talent.

To help implement the document's suggestion, the Chinese Government in January initiated a "1,000-person project," which plans to bring a group of leading scientists and professionals back to China and give them full play in key technologies, innovative industries and fledging sciences.

Chinese talent studying and living overseas have also kept a close eye on the development of their motherland, which has become more attractive to them since the global economic slump. "WRSA is just trying to build a bridge of service and communication between them," said Chen.

Battle for professionals

In March, south China's Guangdong Province dispatched a delegation that flew to the United States to find the best people for the local industries and key projects involving finance, logistics and information services.

The province's capital, Guangzhou, allocated 200 million yuan ($29 million) of special funds to help overseas talent return. The government can provide as much as 5 million yuan ($735,000) for the returned business starters as seed money. At the same time, the local government can provide work places and rental exemptions for the first three years.

As China's financial center, Shanghai leads in the recruitment of overseas talent. In December 2008, the city sent a delegation to London, Chicago and New York looking for exceptional candidates. Offering more than 170 finance-related positions and 1,000 other career opportunities, the delegation saw 2,000 job applicants and reached initial agreements with 840. Most were Chinese living abroad.