Appendix C

Foreign Talent Programs That May Pose a Threat to the National Security Interests of the United States

The following is a non-exhaustive list of foreign talent recruitment programs that may pose a threat to the national security interests of the United States. Many of the programs listed below originate from a list of nearly 200 talent recruitment schemes released by China’s State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs in 2018 and presented in Appendix 1 of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s Hunting the Phoenix report (Joske, 2020a). The committee also reviewed lists of talent programs compiled by Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology, the University of Minnesota Export Controls Office, Jeffrey Stoff at the Center for Research Security & Integrity, and the U.S. government, specifically Table 2: Foreign Talent Programs That Pose a Threat to National Security Interests of the United States in the Countering Unwanted Foreign Influence in Department-Funded Research at Institutions of Higher Education report released by the Department of Defense in June 2023 and the “Guidelines for Federal Research Agencies Regarding Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs” memorandum released by the Office of Science and Technology Policy in February 2024 (DOD, 2023; Prabhakar, 2024a; Stoff, 2021; University of Minnesota, 2023; Weinstein, n.d.).

The committee notes that “any program that meets one of the criteria contained in Section 10638 (4)(A) and either Section 10638 (4)(B)(i) or (ii) in the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022” or any program that is sponsored by “a foreign country of concern or an entity based in a foreign country of concern, whether or not directly sponsored by the foreign country of concern;

• Introduction of Overseas Young Talents in Cultural and Educational Sector
• Special Programs with Universities Directly under the Administration of Ministries and Commissions of the Central Government
• Project for Chief Foreign Experts
• Project for Young Foreign Experts in Economic and Technological Sector

Government of China – Changjiang Scholars Program

• Changjiang Scholars Program
• Changjiang Scholars Award Program (Young Scholars)
• Changjiang Scholars Award Program (Chair Professor)
• Changjiang Scholars Award Program (Distinguished Professor)

Government of China – Ministry of Agriculture

• Young Talents Program under the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences

Government of China – Ministry of Culture

• Recruitment Plan for High-Level Overseas Cultural Talents

Government of China – Ministry of Education

• 111 Program, 111 Project, or Project 111
• Chunhui Award
• Chunhui Program
• Sino-US Fulbright Program
• Young Changjiang Scholar Program

Government of China – Ministry of Industry and Information Technology

• Qiming Plan

Government of China – Ministry of Land and Resources

• Youth Talent Plan of Huangjiqing

Government of China – Ministry of Science and Technology

• 863 Program or State High-Tech Development Plan or National High-Tech R&D Program
• 973 Program or National Basic Research Program
• National Key Technologies R&D Program

• National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars under the National Natural Science Foundation of China
• Science Fund for Emerging Distinguished Young Scholars under the National Natural Science Foundation of China

Government of China – National Health Commission

• 532 Talents Program under the China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment

Government of China – Chinese Academy of Sciences

• Hundred Talent Program
• New Hundred Talent Program
• Program for Innovation Teams on International Cooperation
• Chinese Academy of Sciences Program for Overseas Evaluation Experts
• Program for the Introduction of Prominent Technical Talents

Government of China – China Meteorological Administration

• Project for Hundred Talents Introduction and Hundred Talents Selection

Government of China – State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation

• Program for Foreign High-Level Talents Introduction

Beijing Municipality

• Program for Overseas Talents Aggregation
• Great Minds Gather in Beijing Plan

Tianjin Municipality

• Tianjin Haihe Friendship Award
• Program for Overseas High-Level Talents Introduction
• 1,000 Foreign Experts Introduction Plan
• Tianjin Municipal Distinguished Professor
• Plan of Supporting Entrepreneurial Talents Returning from Studying Overseas
• Plan of Funding Outstanding Science and Technology Projects Launched by Talents Returning from Studying Overseas

Hebei Province

• 100 Talents Plan of Hebei Province
• 100 Foreign Experts Introduction Plan
• Yanzhao Friendship Award

Shanxi Province

• 100 Talents Plan on Overseas High-Level Talents Introduction
• Shanxi Provincial Friendship Award
• Shanxi Province Plan of Funding Outstanding Young Talents
• Program for Cultivating Excellent Entrepreneurs

Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region

• Program for Grassland Elite
• Inner Mongolia Steed Award
• Program for High-Level Talents Introduction

Liaoning Province

• 10-100-1,000 Program for High-End Talents Introduction
• Friendship Award of Liaoning Province
• Program for Key Foreign Experts Introduction

Shenyang City

• Shenyang Rose Award
• Program for Overseas Research and Development Team Introduction

Dalian City

• High-Level Talents Introduction Plan
• Plan to Promote and Congregate a Gathering of Outstanding Overseas Experts
• Overseas High-Level Talents Introduction Plan

Jilin Province

• Program for High-Level Entrepreneurial and Innovative Talents Introduction
• Changbai Mountain Friendship Award
• Funding Program for Preferential Returned Scientific Research Students Innovative and Start-ups
• Funding Program for Preferential Postdoctorate Scientific Research

Changchun City

• Friendship Award
• Excellent Foreign Experts

Heilongjiang Province

• 1,000 Talent Plan of Heilongjiang
• Heilongjiang Belt and Road Talent Introduction Project
• Special Supporting Plan for Talents of Science and Technology
• Funding Program for Preferential Postdoctorate Scientific Research

Harbin City

• Harbin Talents Aggregation Program

Shanghai Municipality

• Program for High-Level Overseas Talents Introduction
• 1,000 Talents Plan of Shanghai
• Shanghai Outstanding Academic Leaders Plan
• Shanghai Magnolia Award
• Shanghai Pujiang Program
• Shanghai Program for Professor of Special Appointment Eastern Scholar at Shanghai Institutions of Higher Learning
• Shanghai Rising-Star Program
• Shanghai Excellent Academic/Technology Research Leader Program
• Shanghai Financial Talent Project

Jiangsu Province

• Program for High-Level Entrepreneurial and Innovative Talents Introduction
• 100 Foreign Experts Introduction Plan
• Recruitment Program of Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars
• Jiangsu Six Talent Peaks Program
• Jiangsu Specially Appointed Professor Program
• Jiangsu Friendship Award

Nanjing City

• 321 Program for Talents Introduction
• Venture Nanjing Talent Program
• Program for High-Level Talent Team Introduction

Zhejiang Province

• 1,000 Talents Plan of Zhejiang Province
• Zhejiang Overseas Engineers Program
• Zhejiang West Lake Friendship Award for Foreign Experts
• Program of Foreign Expertise Introduction of Zhejiang Province
• College Elites Aggregation Program of Zhejiang Province

Hangzhou City

• 521 Program for Global Talents Introduction
• Hangzhou 115 Overseas Talents Introduction Plan
• Hangzhou Qianjiang Friendship Award for Foreign Experts
• Ningbo City
• 3315 Talents Program
• Ningbo Overseas Engineers Experts Program
• Camellia Prize

Anhui Province

• 100 Talents Plan of Anhui Province
• 100 Foreign Experts Introduction Plan
• Huangshan Friendship Award

Fujian Province

• Program for High-Level Entrepreneurial and Innovative Talents Introduction
• 100 Talents Plan Foreign Experts Program
• Program for Overseas High-Level Talents Introduction into Fujian Free Trade Pilot Zone
• Fujian Province Program for High-Level Talents Introduction (A, B, and C Class)
• Program for High-End Foreign Expert Groups Introduction
• Program for Young Foreign Experts Introduction
• Fujian Friendship Award
• Program for Overseas High-Level Talents Introduction

Xiamen City

• Xiamen City Program for ARRIS
• Double-Hundred Talents Plan for High-Level Talents Introduction
• Egret Friendship Award

Jiangxi Province

• Program for Domestic and Overseas High-Level Technical Talents Introduction
• Program for High-End Foreign Experts and Overseas Engineers in Short Supply Introduction
• Program for Overseas Medical Research Talents Introduction
• Lushan Friendship Award
• Program for High-Level Entrepreneurial and Innovative Talents Introduction and High-End Talents Flexible Introduction

Shandong Province

• Taishan Scholars Project
• Double-Hundred Talent Plan on 100 Foreign Experts and 100 Foreign Expert Teams Introduction
• Shandong Provincial Government Qilu Friendship Award

Jinan City

• 5150 Program for Talents Introduction
• Quancheng Friendship Award
• Quancheng Program for Entrepreneurial and Innovative Talents Introduction
• Quancheng Program for High-End Foreign Experts Introduction Qingdao City
• Program for Entrepreneurial and Innovative Leading Talents
• Incentive Plan for High-End Talents
• Qindao Award Winner
• Aoshan Program for Talents Introduction
• Program for Overseas High-Level Experts Introduction

Henan Province

• Program for Overseas High-Level Talents Introduction
• 100 Talents Plan of Henan Province
• Henan Province International Talents Cooperation Program
• Distinguished Professor of Henan Province

Hubei Province

• 100 Talents Plan on Overseas High-Level Talents Introduction
• Chime Bell Award by Hubei Provincial People’s Government

• Chu Talents Program
• Talent Introduction Program on High-Levels, Elites, Top-Leadership, and Urgently Needed People

Wuhan City

• Huanghe Talents Plan
• Wuhan Yellow Crane Friendship Award
• Wuhan City Partner Program
• 3551 Optics Valley Talent Schema

Hunan Province

• 100 Talents Plan on Overseas High-Level Talents Introduction

Guangdong Province

• Guangdong Friendship Award
• Guangdong Provincial Pearl River Talents Program
• Program for Innovative Research Teams and Leading Talents Introduction
• Special Support Plan for High-Level Talents
• Sail Plan for Talents Development
• Funding Scheme for Short-Term Overseas Experts in Guangdong

Guangzhou City

• Guangzhou Friendship Award
• Advanced Foreign Experts Introduction Plan
• Guangzhou Talents Green Card
• Overseas Talents Entrepreneurial Encouragement Kapok Plan
• 100 Talents Plan of Entrepreneurial and Innovative Leading Talents

Shenzhen City

• Peacock Program for Overseas High-Level Talents Introduction

Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region

• Guangxi Talent Highland
• Guangxi BaGui Scholars
• Guangxi Specially Invited Experts
• 100 Talents Plan on the Introduction of High-Level Overseas Talents for Colleges and Universities in Guangxi

Hainan Province

• Measures of Hainan Province to Introduce High-Level Innovative Talents
• Measures for the Implementation of Scientific and Technological Innovation Teams in Hainan
• Measures for the Implementation of the Introduction of Overseas High-Level Talents in Hainan
• Coconut Island Awards of Hainan Province

Chongqing Municipality

• Program for Hundred Overseas High-Level Talents Aggregation
• Chongqing Friendship Award
• Par-Eu Scholars Program
• Chongqing Talents Recruitment Hongyan Plan

Sichuan Province

• Sichuan Friendship Award
• 1,000 Talents Plan of Sichuan Province
• Tianfu Recruitment Program of High-End Foreign Experts

Chengdu City

• Jinsha Friendship Award
• Talents Introduction Plan of Chengdu

Guizhou Province

• 100-1,000-10,000 Talents Introduction Project

Yunnan Province

• The 100 Talents Plan on Overseas High-Level Talents Recruitment
• Yunnan Friendship Award
• Yunnan Provincial High-End Foreign Experts Project
• Program for High-End Scientific and Technological Talents Recruitment

Shaanxi Province

• 100 Talents Plan of Shaanxi Province
• Sanqin Friendship Award
• Shaanxi Provincial Top Foreign Experts Project

Xi’an City

• 5211 Program for Talents Introduction
• Xi’an Friendship Award
• Xi’an Excellent Foreign Experts Award
• Program for Overseas High-Level Talents

Gansu Province

• Gansu Provincial Government Foreign Experts Dunhuang Award
• Gansu Important Foreign Experts Introduction Program
• Gansu Overseas High-Level Talents Introduction Program

Qinghai Province

• Qinghai Provincial High-End and Innovative 1,000 Talents Plan

Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region

• Ningxia Liupan Mountain Friendship Award
• 100 Talents Plan for Talents Introduction

Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

• Tianshan Prize of People’s Government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region
• High-Level Personnel Introducing Project of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region
• Distinguished Experts of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps
• Oasis Friendship Award of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps

Other China

• River Talents Plan

Russia

• Project 5-100
• ITMO University Fellowship and Professorship Program (any track)

Saudi Arabia

• Gold Card
• High-Profile Qimam Fellowship Scheme

• In-Kingdom Retention Initiatives
• KAUST Gifted Student Program (KGSP)

United Arab Emirates

• 2071 Moonshot Apprenticeship Program
• The Edge