The Hangzhou International Talents Club opens in Hangzhou in Zhejiang province on June 5. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

A hotbed for startups and entrepreneurs, Hangzhou, capital of eastern Zhejiang province, is attracting a growing number of international talent with in the wake of its talent-supporting policies, according to local officials.

The latest statistics show that Hangzhou is currently home to a workforce of 2.55 million, including 55,000 overseas returnees and 30,000 expats.

Over 4,980 foreign-registered enterprises have been established in the city, according to a report in the Hangzhou Daily.

Home to the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba and a host of high-tech enterprises, the eastern city has had the largest net inflow rate of professionals from both home and abroad in the country since 2016.

It has been selected as one of the top 10 most attractive Chinese cities for expats nine years in a row.

In 2018, the city announced it would ramp up efforts to recruit international staff by offering them startup funds and improving their living facilities, seeking to make Hangzhou a more desirable place to live.

Aside from the preferential policies, a host of innovation and entrepreneurial competition for overseas high-level staff has also boosted the development of recruitment in Hangzhou. 

Initiated in 2015, the competition has attracted 90 projects with a registered capital of 770 million yuan ($108 million).

Last August, Hangzhou launched a talent card program focusing on six areas of expat life in Hangzhou, including working permits, education, medical healthcare, business insurance, housing support and life services.

According to the policy, high-caliber workers who have obtained the Tier A work permit in China are entitled to preferential policies and those who work in Hangzhou are provided with a citizen card and enjoy the same treatment as locals.