Qiming Plan 2027: Application Preparation Guide

Program overview and industry focus

The Qiming Plan connects overseas talent with technology and innovation needs at enterprises in China. Potential hosts include local state-owned and private enterprises, as well as regional branches and research institutes of centrally administered state-owned enterprises. Host matching considers recommendation eligibility, R&D needs and available resources.

Connect your research, engineering or management expertise with a real host requirement. Explain the technical problem you can address, evidence of achievements and the work you propose to undertake.

• Next-generation information technology, AI, semiconductors, integrated circuits, supercomputing and electronic design automation software.
• Advanced equipment, mechanical engineering, new-energy vehicles, energy efficiency, environmental technologies and advanced manufacturing.
• Brain-computer interfaces, nuclear fusion, new materials, biotechnology, chemicals, medicine and biological breeding technologies.

1. Talent tracks and preparation criteria

Preparation focuses on innovation talent, its Outstanding Engineer direction, and youth talent. Chinese and foreign nationals, including foreign nationals of non-Chinese origin, may request a consultation. The following are preparation references; formal eligibility follows the applicable annual notice and host requirements.

Return-timing reference: not yet working full-time in China, or returned less than one year ago. Record the full-time return date, overseas and China-based employment, and temporary visits against the application reference date. Less than one year excludes the exact first anniversary.

Kebo Kehui's initial consultation routing is youth for age 40 or younger, including exactly 40, and innovation for those over 40. Innovation and youth generally require a PhD; the Outstanding Engineer reference is a bachelor's degree or higher, assessed alongside long-term corporate experience.

Innovation talent: senior roles and key technologies

This direction connects internationally experienced technical specialists, skilled professionals and senior managers with local state-owned and private enterprises. At the consultation stage, those over 40 prepare for innovation; a PhD is generally expected.

Enterprise candidates can prepare evidence of at least 36 months with the same enterprise in their final pre-return appointment. University and research-institution candidates prepare records for their corresponding roles and appointment requirements.

• Enterprise roles: senior technical or management work abroad, with a signed or intended agreement with a Chinese enterprise, or substantial technical or commercial cooperation.
• Research roles: an overseas university or research appointment equivalent to associate professor or above, with strong innovation capability.
• Key technologies: expertise in critical industrial technologies or demonstrated solutions to product and production-process problems.
• Prepare employment dates, seniority and responsibilities, evidence of achievements, personal contributions, the basis for host cooperation and a proposed work plan.

Outstanding Engineer: industry experience and engineering achievements

The Outstanding Engineer direction focuses on long-term overseas corporate experience, engineering development capability and senior roles. The following reference criteria help organize application preparation.

• Age and degree reference: 75 or below, with a bachelor's degree or higher; the applicable notice determines inclusion of age 75 and the age reference date.
• Overseas enterprise experience reference: at least 10 years of corporate employment.
• Most recent appointment reference: at least 36 months with the same company on a recognized global top-500 list in the final employment period before returning. Prepare the ranking details, employing entity and dates.
• Capability and seniority reference: strong project development capability, engineering experience and a senior corporate role.
• Prepare degree evidence, a long-term employment timeline, responsibilities, engineering projects, technical results and verifiable records of your personal contribution.

Youth talent: a PhD and formal overseas employment

This direction connects internationally experienced young professionals in natural sciences, engineering and related fields with enterprise R&D needs. Applicants aged exactly 40 prepare under the youth direction.

• A PhD has generally already been awarded; age 40 or younger, including age 40.
• A formal position at a recognized overseas university, research organization or enterprise R&D institution, with at least 36 consecutive months of work.
• Overseas PhD holders with exceptional achievements may seek an adjustment to the work-duration requirement under the relevant application provisions.
• Prepare doctoral records, formal employment evidence, selected papers or patents, project results and a future R&D plan. Distinguish student, visitor, postdoctoral and employee status, and explain gaps or overlaps.

2. Support: talent recognition and funding references

Support may include talent recognition, living allowances, research funding, employer salary subsidies and housing assistance. The figures below are preparation references: amounts, recipients and payment conditions vary by location and track, so individual limits are not added together.

• Recognition: following selection and implementation, complete the applicable talent-recognition procedures and apply for local settlement, entrepreneurship and related services.
• Living allowance reference: one-off support of RMB 1 million for innovation and entrepreneurship talent, and RMB 500,000 for youth talent, under the applicable program policy.
• Local matching reference: 1:1 matching and combined amounts of RMB 2–4 million. Check the host city's combination rules, funding recipients and instalment arrangements.
• Research funding reference: up to RMB 5 million over three years, subject to annual performance assessment, for project research tasks. Payment arrangements follow the applicable project requirements.
• Salary subsidy reference: 70–80% of annual salary, up to RMB 5 million over five years, with the employer as recipient. Actual amounts and annual assessment follow the applicable local policy.
• Housing reference: RMB 1 million or more in some cities, including payment after a property purchase, subject to local property conditions and talent categories.

Other support: research resources, healthcare and family arrangements

Discuss the proposed role, team, laboratories, equipment, workspace and career development with the host. Talent service cards, healthcare and social insurance, children's schooling and spousal employment assistance depend on applicable local conditions and arrangements that can be documented.

Agree each support item with the host, including its recipient, arrival and assessment requirements, application route and payment timing.

3. Assessment preparation: education, achievements, experience and host fit

Focus on expertise, selected achievements, overseas experience and host fit. Explain your contribution, technical value and the feasibility of the proposed work. Prepare for interviews, an oral defence or supplementary explanations according to the receiving organization's arrangements.

• Education and academic background: explain degrees, discipline and supervisor context, with university or subject rankings and academic impact as supporting background.
• Selected achievements: organize papers, patents, technical reports, awards and commercialization outcomes. Explain quality, practical impact and your contribution rather than relying only on counts or journal impact factors.
• Overseas experience: identify employers, roles, dates, project responsibilities and the core research or engineering tasks you performed.
• Host fit: verify recommendation eligibility, industry position, team and resources. Explain the concrete problem you can solve, proposed objectives and deliverables.

4. Application process: host matching through implementation

Work through five stages: host matching, evidence collection, eligibility review, formal submission and implementation.

• 1. Identify a host: discuss technology fit, role and location, and confirm eligibility, the recommendation route and mutual intent.
• 2. Assemble evidence: prepare degree, employment, research and professional records; the host prepares its organization and qualification documents.
• 3. Review eligibility: verify education, appointments, achievements, intellectual property and professional results, addressing missing or inconsistent information.
• 4. Submit formally: following host review and recommendation, the authorized organization completes the required online and paper submission and retains confirmation.
• 5. Follow up: track the assessment result, then complete arrival, project implementation, performance review and funding applications after selection.

5. Document checklist: a verifiable application pack

Organize these records, then adapt them to the track and host checklist. For an initial consultation, a CV, research direction, selected achievements and development preferences are enough. Provide identity documents and formal proofs only after their application purpose and secure submission channel are clear.

• Identity: the required identity evidence for Chinese nationals, or a passport and any other required documents for foreign nationals.
• Education: doctoral records and requested earlier degrees for innovation and youth; the Outstanding Engineer direction follows its corresponding degree requirements. Obtain accepted replacements for lost documents.
• Overseas employment: appointment letters, contracts, departure records or offer emails showing the organization, role and clear start/end dates.
• Projects: project documents and outputs, plus statements from a supervisor or principal investigator explaining your role and contribution.
• Research and technical outcomes: selected papers, books, technical reports, invited talks, patent certificates, awards and verifiable engineering or commercialization results.
• Host and appointment: an employment contract or letter of intent where required, proposed work, host information and relevant qualifications.
• Consistency: align names, organizations, roles and dates across Chinese and English records, and distinguish your own contribution from team-wide achievements.

6. How Kebo Kehui can assist with preparation

From profile review to enterprise introductions, Kebo Kehui helps organize an application pathway, prepare documents and coordinate progress.

• Individual consultation: review education, appointments, technical direction and return plans to identify suitable preparation pathways.
• Preparation planning: organize evidence, selected achievements and proposed work around your CV, with a practical preparation sequence.
• Enterprise matching: connect expertise, experience, location, role and compensation preferences with enterprise needs and facilitate discussions.
• Application assistance: organize documents, check forms and coordinate progress, supporting host review, recommendation and formal submission.
• Post-selection assistance: help follow up implementation procedures, performance assessments and funding applications.