Officials in charge of retired foreign experts in 18 countries and regions will participate in the trade talk and an international personnel exchange conference.

This is the first time that such talks are being held in western China, according to a Xinjiang personnel department official. Previous talks were usually held in developed areas in eastern China, he added.

In 1999, Xinjiang invited 1,500 foreign experts and allocated 10 million yuan (US$1.20 million) to attract expertise from abroad.

The government of Xinjiang will adopt more positive methods to invite foreign expertise to serve Xinjiang's reform and opening-up. More efforts will be focused on the development of key infrastructure facilities in transportation, energy and other sectors.

Meanwhile, more management personnel will be sent abroad to learn foreign experience. Preferential policies will be in place to attract more talents from overseas.

(China Daily)