The 2019 Hangzhou International Human Resources Exchanges and Cooperation Conference opens in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, on Nov 9. [Photo/zj.zjol.com.cn]

The 2019 Hangzhou International Human Resources Exchanges and Cooperation Conference opened in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, on Nov 9.

Thirty-nine top experts, including Nobel Prize laureates, and 113 non-Chinese professionals attended the conference.

In addition, 46 universities and research institutes, 32 delegations of foreign experts, 867 overseas students, as well as over 2,500 companies from 58 countries and regions are planning to showcase over 1,200 projects during the 15-day event in search of cooperation opportunities.

"Hangzhou belongs to people from across the world," said Ding Lei, founder and chief executive officer of NetEase, a Chinese internet giant, at the opening ceremony, adding that he and his company had received tangible support in Hangzhou.

At the opening ceremony, an awards ceremony to honor skilled workers and professionals in Hangzhou was also held. 

This year, the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta region is a highlight of the conference. Companies and institutes in the region will participate in matchmaking activities and job fairs to gather the best minds for the construction of the delta region. 

The conference will also feature the final of the 2019 Hangzhou Overseas High-Level Talent Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition. A total of 150 high-tech projects had been selected from more than 1,500 entries to participate in the final after passing through the preliminary rounds of the competition. 

The Hangzhou International Human Resources Exchanges and Cooperation Conference has been held every year since 2009 with agreements on 1,406 projects worth a total of 19.54 billion yuan ($2.79 billion) having been signed. 

Largely due to the annual conference, Hangzhou is becoming an increasingly popular destination for talents, with more deciding to stay in the city to pursue their professional careers. 

Hangzhou recorded a 13.6 percent net inflow rate of middle and high-end talent in 2018, ranking first in the country, according to a news conference held on May 16. In the first half of 2019, the number was about 8.82 percent, dwarfing all other cities, according to a report by Liepin, a recruitment site in China. 

A ceremony is held to appoint a number of technical elites as Hangzhou global talent consultants during the opening ceremony of the 2019 Hangzhou International Human Resources Exchanges and Cooperation Conference on Nov 9. [Photo/zj.zjol.com.cn]