China Attracts Global Talent and Investment

HSBC's co-CEO David Liao Yi-chien stated that multinational companies are increasingly investing in China's new-economy sectors, such as high-end manufacturing, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals. Liao attributed this trend to China's vast market size, comprehensive industrial facilities, and dynamic innovation ecosystem. According to HSBC's Global Trade Pulse Survey, China is the top target market for companies looking to increase their global trade capabilities, with 44% of respondents naming it as their primary focus. Liao emphasized that China's capital markets offer indispensable investment opportunities for international investors, particularly in innovation-driven economic growth. The shift in foreign investment reflects how global companies are positioning China as a global market for driving innovation, consumption, and growth.

Hong Kong has risen to fourth place globally in a talent ranking by the International Institute for Management Development, its highest position ever. The city's leader, John Lee Ka-chiu, announced this at the South China Morning Post's Hong Kong-Asean Summit. Hong Kong improved across three talent competitiveness factors: 'appeal', 'readiness', and 'investment and development'. It ranked first in Asia and topped the chart for graduates in sciences.

China has introduced a new 'young talent' K visa for STEM professionals, aiming to attract global talent and boost innovation in its hi-tech sectors. The visa will offer greater flexibility and fewer barriers to professionals in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Analysts see this as a strategic move to capitalize on a more restrictive immigration climate elsewhere, particularly in the United States. However, they caution that the plan's success depends on effective policy support. Rahdar Hussain Afridi, a Pakistani PhD student at Peking University, welcomes the new visa, having faced uncertainty about his stay in China after graduation.

China's rapid adoption of renewable energy and increasing reliance on electricity may lead to a decline in global fossil fuel use by 2030, according to a report by clean energy think-tank Ember. China's solar and wind generation met demand growth for power in the first half of 2025, cutting fossil fuel usage by 2%. The country's massive investment in clean energy, totaling $625 billion in 2024, has driven down global CO2 emissions. Ember suggests that China's green transition and dominant role in exporting clean energy technology could pressure fossil fuel consumption into long-term decline.