Seven Anhui Cities Launch Joint Talent Attraction Campaign: 50,000 High-Skilled Jobs on Offer
On June 1, 2025, seven major cities in Anhui Province—Hefei, Wuhu, Bengbu, Ma’anshan, Anqing, Xuancheng, and Chuzhou—jointly launched a coordinated talent attraction (人才引进, réncái yǐnjìn) campaign, pledging to fill 50,000 high-skilled positions over three years. The initiative, dubbed “Smart Anhui 2025,” includes 12,000 direct research and development roles, 8,000 management trainee slots, and 3,000 entrepreneurship subsidies worth up to RMB 1 million each. This is the first time Anhui has pooled resources across multiple prefecture-level cities to compete for top domestic and international talent.
Why This Matters for Foreign Investors
Foreign enterprises operating in Anhui—especially those registered as 外商独资企业 (Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise, WFOE, wàishāng dúzī qǐyè)—have long struggled with recruiting specialized engineers and R&D managers. The joint campaign streamlines HR processes across seven cities, offering unified visa application channels, cross-city housing subsidies, and shared recruiting platforms. For a WFOE in Hefei looking to expand to Wuhu, this means one application can cover multiple locations.
Anhui’s talent push comes at a time when coastal provinces are tightening budgets. The province’s GDP grew by 5.8% in 2024, reaching 4.7 trillion RMB, with the seven campaign cities contributing 1.2 trillion RMB. Their combined population of 28 million offers a large local labor pool, but the campaign specifically targets overseas returnees (海归, hǎiguī) and graduates from China’s top 100 universities.
Campaign Highlights
The joint campaign operates under a single brand—”Anhui Talent Hub”—with a shared online portal (anhuitalent.cn) where candidates can apply to multiple cities at once. Key features include:
- Unified subsidy standards: A PhD holder moving to any of the seven cities receives a relocation bonus of RMB 200,000 (increased from the previous city-level maximum of 150,000). Master’s degree holders get RMB 100,000.
- Cross-city housing: Talent living in one city but working in another can access subsidized rental apartments in both locations.
- Spousal employment support: The campaign guarantees job-matching services for spouses of recruited talent, covering 80% of placements within 6 months.
- Streamlined work permits: Foreign talent can obtain a Category A work permit in 15 working days (down from the standard 30).
Initial applications opened on June 1, 2025, with a first batch target of 5,000 hires by September 2025.
City-by-City Incentives and Targets
While the campaign uses unified standards for basic subsidies, each city offers additional perks based on local industrial strengths. The table below summarizes the key differences for 2025.
| City | Target Industries | Additional Incentives (per hire) | 2025 Recruitment Quota |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hefei | AI, quantum computing, EVs | RMB 120,000 technology project grant | 12,000 |
| Wuhu | Robotics, automotive parts | Free STEM training (6 months) | 8,500 |
| Bengbu | Biomedicine, new materials | RMB 50,000 housing down-payment grant | 5,000 |
| Ma’anshan | Steel, semiconductors | Children’s education subsidies (RMB 30,000/year) | 4,500 |
| Anqing | Textile, renewable energy | RMB 80,000 entrepreneurship seed fund | 3,800 |
| Xuancheng | Tourism tech, cloud computing | Annual travel voucher (RMB 20,000) | 2,200 |
| Chuzhou | Logistics, smart home | Relocation assistance (RMB 40,000 lump sum) | 3,000 |
Source: Anhui Provincial Human Resources and Social Security Department, May 2025.
Implications for Foreign-Invested Enterprises
For foreign companies setting up or scaling in Anhui, the joint campaign reduces the administrative burden of HR fragmentation. Previously, each city had separate talent portals, subsidy applications, and visa processes. Now, a WFOE based in Hefei can recruit for a plant in Chuzhou through a single interface, and the employee’s housing subsidy is calculated uniformly.
However, foreign firms should note that the campaign’s subsidies are only available for “highly skilled” positions defined as: annual salary above RMB 400,000, or holding a master’s degree with 5+ years experience, or being granted a national talent title. Entry-level roles are not covered. This means foreign companies need to adjust their recruitment strategies to qualify for subsidies—offering higher starting salaries or focusing on experienced hires.
How to Access the Campaign
Foreign enterprises can register on the Anhui Talent Hub portal (anhuitalent.cn) to post vacancies and nominate employees for subsidies. The portal provides automatic verification of candidate credentials through China’s education ministry database. Once a candidate is identified as qualifying, the subsidy application is pre-filled and submitted to the relevant city’s HR bureau. The average approval time is 20 working days.
Important deadlines: The first subsidy batch closes on August 31, 2025, and funds are disbursed quarterly thereafter. Foreign companies should start the recruitment process immediately to meet the Q3 target.
NEXT STEPS
- Assess your eligibility: Review your current job openings against the campaign’s salary and qualification thresholds. Consult our guide on Anhui WFOE Employment Requirements to ensure compliance.
- Register on the portal: Create a company account at anhuitalent.cn. Need help navigating the registration? Read our Digital HR Setup in Anhui for step-by-step instructions.
- Optimize your talent pitch: Highlight your company’s ability to offer cross-city rotation and spousal support—key selling points under the campaign. For recruitment best practices, see Attracting Foreign Talent to Anhui in 2025.
— Anhui Gateway —
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