Local government efforts to build an internationalized pool of professionals have played an important role in helping Suzhou become an international metropolis, according to local officials.

Currently Suzhou has more than 1.78 million residents, both from China and abroad, with college degrees or higher. Of those, 125 are part of the State-level talent cultivation strategy, the most of all Chinese cities. Eighty of the 125 are entrepreneurs who have successfully started their own businesses, paralleling Beijing as first-equal in the country .

Statistics show that more than 40,000 technical or management professionals from other countries as well as from China's Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions are living in Suzhou. More than 13,800 Chinese citizens who studied abroad have returned to work in the city.

The contribution from talent to Suzhou's economy accounts for 43.4 percent of GDP, already reaching the level of a moderately developed country, according to the Suzhou government.

Every July since 2009, Suzhou has held a high-profile talent fair - International Entrepreneurship Week - to attract innovative entrepreneurs from both home and abroad to start businesses in the city.

"To bring in high-level entrepreneurs good at building new businesses and make Suzhou the foremost choice for international professionals is the focus of Suzhou's talent strategy," said Guo Lajun, the city government's senior official for talent recruitment.

"Unlike before when we had to go overseas looking for talent, now we have a talent fair to invite them in. Meanwhile, local private enterprises, technology organizations, research and development institutes and venture capital agencies have all participated. It proves that this way is more attractive to all participants," Guo said.

Six such talent fairs have been held, attracting some 12,200 high-level professionals from more than 20 countries and regions. Among them, more than 70 percent held doctorate degrees. These professionals proposed 10,483 projects at the events.

To further attract talented people from both home and overseas, the local government has successfully held seven sessions of the "Win in Suzhou" entrepreneurship competition in North America, Australia and Europe. More than 7,000 high-level overseas professionals have taken part. After the events, many came to work and live in Suzhou.

The 2011 "Win in Suzhou" event was held in Silicon Valley in the United States. Former US president Bill Clinton and noted economists attended the opening day.

The 2015 "Win in Suzhou" in Melbourne, Australia, was jointly hosted by Sydney-based Winglong Pty Ltd and CAPS Australia in March.

Hong Chunfen, general manager of Winglong, which hosted the previous two competitions, said the company would continue to attract more high-tech professionals to the events to identify possible development opportunities in Suzhou.

In 2009, Suzhou collaborated with 15 overseas agencies to establish an overseas organization for recruiting talent. It now has 29 branches, covering the world's major developed countries and regions.

xuxiao@chinadaily.com.cn