Five ministries have joined together to entice Chinese workers and students abroad to return to their homeland, promising them similar career opportunities.

Domestic units and agencies have been authorized to turn over their research and development projects to the returning workers at universities, research institutions and enterprises.

The returning workers could also do scientific research in conjunction with their domestic counterparts. They could complete such projects either at home or abroad.

The new policies were signed by the ministries that oversee affairs in personnel; education; science and technology development; public security; and finance.

The policies encourage the returning talents to help train professionals who remained here.

The returning workers' intellectual property rights (IPR) like copyrights and patents would be guaranteed by participating in distributions with their IPR as shareholdings and by sharing research achievements with their domestic partners.

To help China's west development strategy, the government promised to finance technological introduction, scientific inspections and consultation services by the returned.

The talents could also register intermediary agencies with authorities to introduce investment, technologies and projects into China. Such agencies could be set up abroad so they could seek overseas markets for homemade projects.

Since 1978, more than 280,000 Chinese have rushed to foreign countries to study or work. The exodus continued over the last two decades.

But so far, more than 130,000 have returned, according to the latest official statistics.

Chinese workers abroad have been called home in the past, but the latest policies go farther by promising similar jobs for them when they return and preferential treatment, including better salaries and free entry to and from China.

Officials for the ministry of personnel also promise to help find jobs and schools for the returned workers' spouses and children.

(China Daily 08/20/2001)