Hefei among Most Attractive Chinese Cities for Expats

For two years in a row, Hefei, capital of East China’s Anhui province, has been chosen as one of the most attractive cities for expats, according to a survey released on April 14 in Shenzhen, South China’s Guangdong province.

Zhao Jianguo, head of the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, announced the results of the annual survey Amazing China - the Most Attractive Chinese Cities for Expats 2018 at the Shenzhen Forum of the Conference on International Exchanges of Professionals.

Shanghai prevailed as expats’ favorite city to work and live in, followed by Beijing, Hefei, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Suzhou, Qingdao, Tianjin, Xi’an and Wuhan.

Hefei has been ranked third for two consecutive years, following Shanghai and Beijing. This can be attributed to innovative industries the city has been focusing on and a slew of incentives and excellent services it has been providing for foreign talent, an official with the Hefei Municipal Bureau of Foreign Experts Affairs said.

The city, known for its scientific and technological capacity, offers foreign experts ample job opportunity. It was hailed by the State Council, China’s cabinet, for its effort to create platforms for sci-tech innovation. It also ranks among the top 50 Science Cities in the world, according to the Nature Index 2018 Science Cities, a supplement of the British journal Nature.

Hefei has rolled out a slew of incentives to attract foreign talent. For example, it established “Hefei Friendship Award” in recognition of expats who make outstanding contributions to the city’s economic and social development.

Many activities have been launched to make expats’ life in Hefei fun and colorful, including travelling to local tourist attractions and Chinese traditional activities like making rice dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival, according to the official.

The Amazing China 2018 received 239 votes from top expert panels, 2,815 ones from foreign experts and 94,849 ones from internet users. The top expert panels saw the most participation of Nobel Prize winners this year.

(By Zheng Weiling)