Hong Kong talent trawl ‘should focus on quality over quantity’ after China’s third plenum

Experts also urge Hong Kong to offer more support to incoming high-end talent, such as help setting up businesses and settling families

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Hong Kong launched a series of policies in 2022 as part of its global talent trawl. Photo: Jelly Tse

Published: 9:19pm, 22 Jul 2024Updated: 9:29pm, 22 Jul 2024

Hong Kong’s talent trawling schemes should focus on quality over quantity and seek a diverse range of professionals to meet the central government’s expectation that the city becomes a hub for international high-fliers, experts have said.

They also called on local authorities to offer more support to new arrivals, as many faced a wide range of challenges such as getting their own businesses started, finding work and settling their families.

Beijing has already thrown its weight behind Hong Kong’s efforts to become a hub for international high-end talent, with the Communist Party last week passing a resolution at the third plenary session of its 20th Central Committee.

The paper said central authorities backed Hong Kong’s global talent trawl, while also calling on the city to improve the mechanism so it could better support the country’s efforts to open up.

In 2022, the city’s current administration under Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu launched a series of measures that sought to attract fresh talent and help counter an emigration wave.

The policies include the Top Talent Pass Scheme, which is open to candidates who earned more than HK$2.5 million (US$320,000) over the past 12 months and graduates of the world’s top 100 universities.